Visitor From The Future
by i.was.kitten
Summary: Sequel to Mysterious White Wolf. Aurora and Waya, who's now a wolf for the time being, live together as friends, having the time of their lives until two weeks later, they meet an unsual Mobian with telekinesis and find out he seeks for their help. I own nothing.
1. Two Weeks' Routine

**Chapter 1: Two Weeks' Routine**

The sun rose on the tall lonely mountain of Forgotten Peak, awakening the small forest animals of squirrels and rabbits that came out of their burrows and were greeted by the birds chirping and singing a "good morning" to the critters below them and flew off to find their breakfast.

It was a peaceful existence here, and a beautiful environment. The trees were fresh green with the summer, a lake starting shine from the sun's rays like stars, a stream that flowed smoothingly over the small colored stones, and the glorious mountain reaching to the blue sky.

It was hard to believe this place was abandoned by people a very long time ago, but there was proof that someone lived here during that time and left that house to age through several decades' time. However, the house was no longer abandoned for it had two new residents.

In a clearing, the house that used to be gray-and-black, was tri-colored of pink, red, and purple, making it look fresh and alive. Not to mention, the roof boards and walls that once had holes were all batched up and replaced with new boards. In the living room, where the red couch and blue chairs used to be covered in sheets, were now seeing the light of day and were accompanied by a black coffee table in front of the sofa and a chocolate brown wooden desk in a corner. The whole house was cleaned up of dust and grime and cobwebs and refreshed and better looking than ever.

Upstairs, a red-haired girl in a bedroom with a green throw rug and light brown wardrobe and teal curtains, was sleeping in her green bed, enjoying a peaceful rest...that is until she heard a sudden howl that bolted her eyes open.

She groaned and pulled herself out of her bed and made it, putting on her pink robe and walked towards the window, opening it to look at the white wolf howling at the dawn. She raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head.

"Okay, Waya," the she called, making the wolf stop and look at her. "I'm awake and I'm pretty sure everyone else that lives in the forest is awake, too, by now."

Waya smiled and climbed down the roof and through his own bedroom window. She closed her window and walked to her door and found Waya coming towards her. She leaned down to him and touched her head with his, hearing his thoughts.

"_Sorry, Aurora, I wanted to greet the sun._"

Aurora pulled herself from the wolf and said, "Waya, roosters greet the sun. Wolves greet the moon."

He put his head on hers again and asked, "_What, a wolf can't do both?_"

"A wolf can do both, but does a wolf have to howl at the sun so early?" she queried, rubbing his head.

"_Hey, I live up to my name wolf spirit. Don't you want to live up your name dawn?_"

"It's not that I wouldn't like to see the dawn, but sometimes I enjoy a morning's sleep-in."

"_And miss out on a wonderful day like today? I think not_," he denied.

Aurora was only slightly annoyed and grinned at him. For six days, he'd wake her up with his howling and after Aurora would do her self-defense exercises, they'd practice their running around the yard and take a stroll into the woods. Yes, they would plenty of fun, though Aurora wouldn't mind waking getting more sleep, but she let it go.

After breakfast, they started out their usual day of working-out and went for a walk in the woods, checking on the plants that were growing fine in case Aurora needed herbs for medicine. Next, they were greeted by the forest animals that were gathering food. As odd as this sounds, they were friendly to Waya even though he was a wolf.

That reason being was because they could tell what a good person Waya is on the inside that was true in more ways than one. When Aurora first came to this mountain to hide from bad people who would use her gift, an aura that could work magical gems called Chaos Emeralds, she started dreaming of seeing a boy howling at the moon and changing into a wolf. Those dreams started to realize when a boy with white hair fell down in her yard, injured from his travels, and was taken in by Aurora who treated his wounds.

Waya's named means wolf spirit and that interested Aurora and she grew fascinated in the white-haired boy as well as fond and he her. They became good friends, but kept secrets from each other until Waya's people, the Oways, came along. They not only had animal-like traits such as Waya's sense of hearing and smell and wolf-like howling, they were also a surviving race whose home families and friends were taken from them by a dark-hearted man who demanded their loyalty to them so he could use their unique abilities for his own purposes.

When they refused, he destroyed their village and Waya, as a little boy, had lost his parents. Though he was only sad for most of the years, his remaining people grew angry and hateful and became hungry for revenge as well as their leader Tara, a raptor like Owayan. Years later, they found a red Chaos Emerald that helped Tara burn a family's house to the ground to see what its powers would be like and this gave the Owayans the tool they needed to get their revenge on the person who ruined their lives.

However, even though the family was safe, Waya didn't approve their actions at all when their home was destroyed without a second thought and fearing his people would hurt innocent folks, he took the emerald from them and flee, hoping to get rid of it somehow. Months later, he found Forgotten Peak and was cornered by his people who'd pursued him all that time. Waya, in a desperate attempt to keep the gem away from them, jumped off of the cliff and fell into the river, injured but alive and limped away.

Thankfully, he ran into Aurora who was kind enough to help him in his time of need, but he didn't want to involve Aurora in his problems, and he wanted to leave as soon as he was healed. After she declared him well enough to go, she left him go without saying good-bye which kind of confused and hurt Waya, but he figured she didn't like good-byes, so he left without another word. Though, before he left, he hid the emerald under the guest bedroom floor should his people find him and take it from him again.

After he left Aurora's home, he missed her and she missed him as well. That night after he took off, Aurora sat on the roof, remembering her dreams of the boy and howling at the moon with him and started to howl herself. Waya was miles away from her house and howled at the moon, too, and they started to hear each other howling. They couldn't understand how they could hear each other when they were so very far away.

Just then, Waya was trapped by his former friends Mato a bear-like Owayan and Kangi a crow-like Owayan, but when they learned he no longer had the gem, they were about to hurt him until they discovered Aurora's scent on him and figured he left the gem with her. So Mato took an unconscious Waya to a place called the Cave of Life where the rest of the Owayans were waiting for them while Kangi followed Waya's scent to where Aurora's house was.

That night, Aurora dreamt of seeing Waya as a wolf, digging a red Chaos Emerald out of the ground and giving it to her. She wondered what this dream was supposed to mean and when she woke up, she asked herself if Waya had a Chaos Emerald and hid it somewhere in his room, so she searched until she saw a moved floorboard near his bed and looked underneath it to find the same emerald she saw in her dreams.

She didn't understand why Waya would have an emerald and leave it behind, but her thoughts were stopped when Kangi busted through the window and gave lies about Waya being a thief and asked for his people's gem back. However, Aurora knew he was deceiving her and she ran off, though he was moving like a crow in the trees, chasing after her. Aurora had used her wrist communicator to call one of her Mobian friends Shadow the Hedgehog for help and after he said he was on his way, Aurora found herself in a dead-end by a stone wall.

Kangi was about to take the emerald from her when she thought about saving Waya from these people after learning he was going to be punished severely and she started working the emerald, realizing her aura activates its magic when she feels the need to protect someone. She seemed too fast for Kangi who was amazed by her powers and ended up being kicked into the wall. He pretended he was down and as Aurora turned away, Kangi quietly snuck up behind her and swiped the gem from her hand and knocked her out, and took her to the Cave of Life, wanting to tell Tara of her knowledge and power of the red gem.

Waya was in a cell all by himself in that cave until Kangi came and chained her next to him. When she woke up on Waya's lap, she was overjoyed to see her friend again, and although the feeling was mutual, Waya was sorry he got her mixed up in his problems and explained everything to her. Aurora understood and told him the truth about herself as well. Right there and then, they learned to trust each other and found a new friendship.

Then, after telling Tara about Aurora's gift, Kangi and Mato took Aurora to meet their leader who threatened to hurt Waya if she didn't tell him the secrets she knew about the Chaos Emerald. Just when Aurora had tricked Tara into letting her have the gem in her hands so she could use it to stop the evil Owayans forever, Shadow had showed up and freed Waya who used his sense of smell to find Aurora with Tara who used the Chaos Emerald to beat Shadow and recaptured Waya and Aurora and brought the two above the cave.

Shadow, thankfully, woke up on time and found them all and saw Aurora using her aura to work the red Chaos Emerald after remembering her trick earlier. She turned the Owayans into animals as a punishment for letting hatred corrupt them and when Tara ran away back into the cave, Waya, freed again thanks to Shadow, chased after him with Aurora and Shadow following him.

Tara turned on Waya for betraying his people and for finding a girl who turned everyone into beasts. Waya had Tara held down and begged Aurora to change him even though he knew he would be changed, too, since he was so close to his former leader.

Regretfully, Aurora turned them into animals, Tara being a giant raptor and Waya into a white wolf. Tara, in his last act for vengeance, tried to destroy the three heroes by causign a cave-in, but Waya held him down before the former Owayan, giving Aurora and Shadow enough time to escape themselves. Shadow used the red emerald to teleport himself and Aurora back to the house where Aurora fell into unconsciousness after using the gem.

That night, sleeping in her bed, Aurora dreamt of Waya in his wolf form who told her that he was alive and he was coming to her. She woke up and told Shadow about it and the next morning, she sat in the yard waiting for him and there he came, limping on a bad leg and a sore back, but alive just as she dreamt and hoped.

She tried to change Waya back into a human because he was not meant to be punished, but to her dismay, she couldn't do it and she feared he was going to be a wolf until his people had learned from their mistakes until they all changed back into humans. Waya assured her he didn't mind and when the two friends embraced, Aurora discovered she could read his thoughts by putting her head on his.

They remembered how they'd heard each other's howling when they were so very far away and realized that they had a strong bond and that was why she could hear his thoughts. And thankfully, since Waya didn't deserve the punishment, he still had the mind of a human and was welcome to stay with Aurora in her home for as long as he wanted.

Shadow, along with Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails the Fox, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit and her pet Chao Cheese, Knuckles the Echidna, Rouge the Bat, Omega the robot, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy the Bee, warmly welcomed him as their friend and newest member of the team who were helping Aurora find all of the Chaos Emeralds so the mad human scientist Dr. Eggman wouldn't use them to enhance Aurora's aura again like he did last time and to help her find out more about her mysterious aura.

From that day on, for two weeks, Waya had stayed and was happy being by Aurora's side, even though being a wolf had its disadvantages such as not having hands to help her do chores, but they managed to find ways for him to help do things. More than anything, at least he could talk to Aurora through telepathy. And the rabbits in the forest, who could sense Waya's human nature, would come up and greet Waya who was happy they knew how harmless he was.

After the little rabbits left, Aurora said with a smile, "You know, animals sure are fascinating creatures. They have a sixth sense that they can use to understand a person's soul."

Waya lifted and lowered a paw down asking her to bring down her head to his and asked, "_It seems as though humans can have that kind of sixth sense, too. You knew I was good when you met me._"

Aurora shrugged. "Maybe it was a sixth sense...or maybe it's this aura. I don't know."

Before she came to Forgotten Peak, several weeks ago, she woke up from Earth to this world called Mobius and met Sonic the Hedgehog who found her sleeping in Green Hills outside of a town called Knothole. After meeting his friends, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese and staying with them for a while, Eggman came for her, but was protected by Sonic who thought it'd be best for her to stay with Knuckles on his floating island home until they figure out Eggman's interest in her.

Staying and bonding with Knuckles didn't last long when Eggman discovered her residence over there and sent his Egg-droid robots to capture her, but thankfully, through persuasion by Aurora, Knuckles used a giant gem called the Master Emerald to send Aurora safely away to a forest where she found Shadow hurt by a river and he volunteered to get her to safety.

Shadow took her to a military base called G.U.N. where she met his partners Rouge and Omega who stayed behind to protect Aurora while Shadow and Rouge went to find thieves who took Shadow's yellow Chaos Emerald and after finding the two bandits, they learned they only took Shadow's gem because they were hired by Eggman to do it and they also told the doctor one of them saw Shadow carrying Aurora in his arms and that's when the dark hedgehog and bat knew Eggman would come to G.U.N. to find her there.

Unfortunately, the pair arrived back at the base too late and found Omega badly wounded who told them of Aurora being kidnapped and through encouragement from Rouge who told him not to give up, Shadow went to Knothole and told Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles about what happened and by looking for Aurora's wrist communicator's signal, they found her in a place called Sunset Canyon and discovered Eggman's hideout and his plans of using Aurora's special energy to power up a giant aircraft called the Egg-Scrambler to threaten people with so he could rule the world.

Sonic and Shadow tried to defeat a giant robot called the Mega Egg-droid, but were knocked down which caused Aurora's "energy" to power up so much that it freed her from her imprisonment and she used the yellow emerald to destroy the robot with a metal bar inside and out when Sonic and Shadow couldn't even scratch it.

Even though Aurora was badly hurt, she was saved by magical, gifted Healers at a hidden village called Healing Brook that Shadow and Aurora discovered during their travels to G.U.N. together and Sonic and Shadow were able to stop the Egg-Scrambler. The Healer Thomas explained to Aurora and her friends that her energy is what he and his people called an aura and hers is a very good one.

However, they all knew Eggman would be back and use Aurora's aura again, so Shadow suggested she stay at Forgotten Peak in an abandoned house where she'd be safe and well hidden while her friends search and lock away all seven Chaos Emeralds.

_So far, now with the yellow and red emeralds along with the two emeralds the guys found, that leaves three more to go._

Aurora wondered what would happen after all seven emeralds were found and she wondered what else her aura can do and why she had it at all...

"You know, this aura isn't a bad thing since it's been so helpful," she confided to Waya who nodded as they walked, "I just wish it wouldn't attract bad people's attention."

Waya understood. After all, his people were gifted with things and that caught an evil man's attention.

"At least there are people like Sonic and the others to stop them," Aurora added. Waya barked in agreement.

They'd missed their animal Mobian friends and wished they'd see them again soon. Although, they'd see Shadow in the evening so he could check on things and give Aurora self-defense lessons should she run into trouble which was exactly what'd been happening to her lately.

_Hopefully, trouble won't be coming anytime soon..._

* * *

Aurora and Waya found the mansion-sized lake and took a dip, splashing at each other and swimming to the middle of the water and watched the cloudy sky above them, moving away in the wind changing into interesting shapes as they floated.

"This place is a dream," Aurora remarked with a smile. She'd always had a love for nature and this place was the perfect home, at least for a while. Waya nodded in agreement. They both loved nature and weren't much into cities. Of course, Aurora knew a bit about technology, having little devices herself, but Waya lived more like an Indian, surviving in the wilderness using his strength and wits which was always helpful.

They made for dry land and headed back to the house for Aurora to change into dry clothes. Later after lunch, Aurora was on her desk writing while she was playing music from her iPod with Waya lying down on the couch listening. They both loved music and Waya never got tired of her songs. Aurora loved her songs, though she was used to her usual ones, but it was better than having no music at all.

She'd been writing down the events that'd happened to her on Mobius and planned to give the it to her friends in Knothole. She didn't know when she was going to leave Mobius, but she felt it'd be nice if she gave her friends something to look back at the fun they had with her. She wished she had something to remember them by, too. She could look back without a journal, but she wanted to have some pictures of them at least.

_Then again, is it good to have pictures of people from another world? What if someone back home sees them? And how would they react?_

She reminded herself how she was even going to explain her being on Mobius. She'd been gone a long time, maybe they would have to...but Tails had once told her that the time and space continuem are different between their worlds. So he theorized that the time she'd spent on Mobius would feel like she'd only been gone for merely a few seconds when she returned to Earth.

_But what if it feels like I've been gone for years...?_

She had no memory of how she came to Mobius and didn't remember saying good-bye to her friends and family... She knew her family would be worried, but she wondered how her friends would feel...? She never spoke much to her friends in school and was mostly a loner and didn't want to bother them and they always respected her space, so they never came to her very much.

_It's not their fault. They're just being respectful and considerate to keep their distance 'cause they think it's what I want..._

She knew her friends cared and she guessed they would think about her some, but deep down, she wished she had the courage to talk to them more often...but it was too late now. She couldn't talk to them or anyone else in her world.

_At least I have friends here who don't leave me alone nowhere near as much._

Her Mobians friends would always be there to see she had company and someone to talk to. They seemed to like her company well enough as well and it really made her happy. She never had friends like them...

_Hang on, what about Waya? What if I go home and he'll still be a wolf? The others have homes of their own and they'd get along just fine, but what about him? I'd love to give him this house...but I don't think he's ever thought much of me going home and how he'd do without me..._

Would he stay and live in her house or would he go off on his own in the wilderness since he wouldn't have anyone to be with on Forgotten Peak...? She didn't think it'd be good at all to ask him since it would've made him feel sad to think about it. Still, she wondered what to do.

_Well...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, I'd like to enjoy being with him now._

After she was writing, Aurora showed Waya some of the pictures she'd taken of her world. The young wolf was amazed by the beauty in her natural landscape album that wasn't very different from Mobius and he admired the wolves that were in her animal album, for obvious reasons. He liked most of her pictures and kept asking questions that some Aurora could answer.

Later that late afternoon, Shadow came and gave Aurora more self-defense lessons. Waya watched and wished he could've join them, but being four-legged creature, he couldn't. He would've liked to practice self-defense moves to help keep Aurora safe. Then again, he reminded himself of how she defeated his former friend Mato, a very tall and strong Owayan, and guessed she probably wouldn't need his help that much, but still he wanted to be strong enough for her...

Shadow jumped over Aurora's head and landed behind her and tried to make a blow, but she moved to the side and brought a leg up and moving it to his head, but he blocked it with his arm and pushed her away, almost making her lose her balance. She panted for a breath and braced herself for another attack.

"That's enough for today," Shadow declared.

Aurora sighed and sat down exhausted. "Phew, what a work-out."

Waya stood and walked towards her and put his head on hers. "_Wow, that was incredible as always. I'm sure glad I'm on your side._"

Aurora smiled and explained to Shadow. "He says he's glad to be on my side. More than anything Waya, be glad you're on Shadow's side as well as I am."

"That's right," Shadow nodded with a hand on his hip and a playful grin on his face. "Don't forget who her teacher is."

Waya grinned, knowing it was true. He'd seen Shadow take down both Kangi and Mato very easily and he was definitely glad to be on his side, even though he first had trust issues with Waya when he was human and staying with Aurora to heal and recuperate. Both Aurora and Waya found him intimating when they first met him, but they knew what a good-hearted and loyal hedgehog he was and they also knew his reasons for being protective of Aurora because he'd made good friends with two girls named Maria and Molly whom he'd both lost and left him broken-hearted.

When Aurora found him and helped him along with others they met on their way to G.U.N., she reminded Shadow so much of his late friends and that made him want to keep her safe more and more. That was why he wanted to bring Aurora to live in this house at Forgotten Peak to stay hidden from Eggman and why he didn't want Waya being with Aurora when he wasn't watching in case he did anything to her. But after seeing how much he cared for Aurora and how he risked his life for both her and him, he realized he'd been wrong to distrust the boy and agreed with his staying with Aurora until he turned human again.

"So, now that we're done, tell me, what have you two been up to?" Shadow asked, wanting to start a conversation.

"Ah, just the so and so," Aurora replied. "Exercised, traveled the woods, swam in the lake, listened to music, looked at pictures. Nothin' new."

"Well, I hope that's not starting to bore either of you," Shadow remarked.

"No, it's fine," she assured with Waya nodding. "So how are you? And how about the others?"

"We're all fine," he answered. "Still busy finding the remaining Chaos Emeralds and finding Eggman. It's been a long time since we've heard from him. I don't know if he's given up on your aura yet, but for sure if he doesn't need your aura at all, he will be looking for a Chaos Emeralds. He's always looking for one or all of those to power up a machine of his."

Aurora remembered from Sonic how he and the others would always stop Eggman from causing trouble and the doctor's constant habit of needing Chaos Emeralds. "If you ask me, Dr. Egghead needs to get a life," Aurora commented.

"Funny, that's exactly what Rouge said," Shadow said, then sighed with a grin. "Great, first you talk like Sonic and now you're talking like Rouge."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Aurora replied, looking offended. "What if I started talking like you? Wouldn't that flatter you?"

"That depends on how you say it," he answered with a suspicious raised eyebrow, "Whether or not you do it to mock me."

"No, that kind of thing I'll leave to Sonic and Rouge alone," Aurora laughed, making Waya smile. "After all, I can't forget who's teaching me."

"You are very wise," Shadow complimented to his student, winking at her. "But would you tease me if I wasn't your teacher?"

"Not unless I want a glare from you and I've seen you glare before. Not a good thing to see."

Shadow grinned, liking her sense of humor a lot more than Rouge and Sonic's.

"Say, Shadow, why don't you join us for dinner?" Aurora suggested.

"Thanks, but I've got to get back to G.U.N.," he apologized, facing the direction to the base. "I'll see you two later. Stay out of trouble."

"Where's the fun in that?" Aurora asked playfully, imitating Sonic.

Shadow shook his head and Aurora knew he was rolling his eyes. "Now you are mocking me," he said, making Aurora laugh. "Just be careful," he requested with a grin and a wave and took off, leaving a gust of wind behind.

Waya put his head on hers and asked, "_You did that on purpose, didn't you?_"

"That obvious?"

"_Yep._"

Aurora smiled and they both headed back in the house to make supper. After they ate, they climbed up on the roof and howled at the waxing moon, singing the forest another lullaby. It was a good thing they had no neighbors other than the woodland critters or they'd get constant complaints of howling every night.

They stopped and looked at the stars above them, talking about what to do tomorrow. "_How about we climb the mountain? Huh?_" Waya suggested.

Aurora wasn't too sure about that. She never climbed a mountain before except with Sonic and Knuckles, but Sonic would carry her in his arms while he ran at the speed of light and she would hold on to Knuckles's shoulders while he climbed. She once asked the red echidna if he could teach her, but due to the crazy events, he never had the chance.

"I don't know, Waya, I've never done it before," she doubted.

"_We won't go very high. Just a few good feet._"

"Well...okay. But only a few feet."

"_Deal._"

They looked back at the stars and saw the Milky Way. Aurora couldn't believe they could see that here on Mobius. She couldn't see other star constellations in the sky that were the same in her universe, though. She wondered when she'll ever go home...

Suddenly, a shooting star flew quickly past their heads. "Oh, hey, look at that!" Aurora said excitedly.

Waya prodded her gently with his paw, asking her to make a wish.

"Hmm..." she thought, "Well, I don't know what to wish for..." _Maybe something that'll help give me answers... _"What would you wish for, Waya?"

"_Don't know, either." _However, when he turned to look at the stars, she saw a longing expression and she knew he wished he was human, but she knew he wouldn't tell her that and make her feel guilty. It seemed to her they didn't like to say too much that would hurt each other. After several moments of star-gazing, they climbed back in their bedrooms and bid each other "good night" and went to sleep, looking forward to another day of fun in their mountain home.

* * *

Aurora slept, dreaming of flying past the stars in outer space, feeling like a rocket with incredible speed. Suddenly, she saw a bright flash in the darkness in front of her that made her stop and looked to see the light coming towards her. As it got closer, Aurora could see it was made out of a bluish green light.

She tilted her head and wondered if it was a shooting star. It got closer and closer until she could see two small golden rings that looked like...eyes. Eyes that were looking at her.

Then Aurora woke up at the sound of howling and knew it was Waya once again, but she was a little more concerned about that dream. She wondered if she was having another message, the kind she'd have of Waya in her sleep...

She wasn't sure, but she shrugged it off and got ready for their little mountain climbing adventure. Aurora made sure to bring the first-aid kit she'd set up and the food they would need for a picnic and followed Waya up to the rocky hills.

Waya offered to carry the first-aid kit in his mouth to make it easier for Aurora to climb up the steep rocks while she carried the food pouch around her neck. They climbed a few aways off of the ground, about almost half-way to the mountain where they could see the top of the trees and the grassy fields that went on for several miles.

"Now this is a view!" Aurora announced with open arms. They sat down at a nice spot to have their picnic and had a good time. Waya was glad for her company. She was the closest to family he'd ever have and he hoped to never lose her.

Though, he wondered what would happen when he changes back into a human. He still didn't want to leave his friend, but he decided it was best not to think about it right now and just enjoy being with her now. However, sometimes he felt like her pet than a friend even though she still treated him like a person with a mind and will of his own.

After the picnic, they cleaned everything up and began to climb back down. As they made for the bottom of the mountain, something immediately caught Aurora's eye.

"Hmm?"

Waya barked, his way of asking what was up.

"There's something floating in the sky," Aurora said softly. From what Aurora could see, it looked like a light that was...bluish green! The same color she saw on that shooting star in her dream.

"Waya, I saw that kind of light in my dream last night," she told him. "I dreamt of flying in outer space and saw that kind of bluish green on a star that flew in front of me."

Waya's eyes went wide. He remembered she had dreams about him before, so he took this new dream seriously.

"I don't know if it's a star or not..." Aurora spoke as she watched the light flying straight towards a certain building, "but it's going straight for the house!" They wasted no time and raced towards the house! They were afraid that light would destroy their home.

_But it can't really be a star, can it? Shooting stars fly faster than Sonic and Shadow put together, but it has the same kind of color as the star in my dream last night... It also had golden eyes... What kind of star has eyes?_

She couldn't understand, but all she and Waya knew it was headed to their home and they had to check it out A.S.A.P. They made it breathlessly through the trees to the tri-colored house and saw the light gently landing in front of it. When they got a closer look, Aurora could see that the light...was actually a Mobian...with long white fur...wrapped in the bluish green color.

_Is he...a hedgehog? And...did he actually fly just now? How? Then again, how do hedgehogs run so fast and how do foxes and echidnas fly?_

The stranger looked at the house and to Aurora, it seemed he had a curious expression on his face. He tilted his head and was about to step up to the house to see if anyone was home.

Waya growled at the newcomer and charged towards him.

"Wait, Waya, no!" Aurora called! Too late, the white hedgehog heard and saw the wolf coming at him and he showed both palms of his hands that glowed in the bluish green light again and to Aurora's shock, Waya was wrapped in that bluish green, too, and was being lifted in the air.

Waya swung his paws in the air trying to get back down, but couldn't break free of the light he was trapped in. Aurora was afraid this stranger would hurt him, so she ran up to him. "Stop, please!" she pleaded.

"Huh?" the hedgehog said, seeing Aurora come up.

"Please, don't hurt him. He thought you were a threat. He was just protecting our home."

He looked at her, then at the wolf and then at her again. "This is your home?" he asked her.

"Yes," she nodded, hoping he'd gently put him down. The white hedgehog seemed confused, wondering why a wolf was with her, but from her face that was begging him to not harm him, he put him down, unleashing the light from the Waya's body.

"You okay?" Aurora asked, walking besides the white wolf. He nodded. "You shouldn't have charged up at him like that, Waya," she scolded quietly. "We don't know if he's a threat. After all, I knew you weren't a threat when I first met you."

Waya winced and knew she had a point and looked at the white hedgehog with an apologetic look.

"He says he's sorry," she told the visitor.

"That's...all right," the hedgehog replied, though he was still confused, "No harm done."

Aurora looked at the sky where he came from and asked, "You...were flying just now. We saw you coming to our house when we were at the mountain. We thought our house was in trouble at first."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry I scared you both like that," he said with an apologetic raised hand. "It's just..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head, wondering how to explain his story. "Well, I'm kind of looking for someone who could help me with something very important. I was told that someone would be here in the mountain."

Aurora looked at Waya who was just as confused as she was. "And...who told you about this and why?" she asked suspiciously.

"...Truth be told, I don't really know who," he confessed. "You see, I was flying in the sky somewhere...very far away from here, you might say. And I heard a voice whispering to me out of nowhere. It told me that I would find the help I would need if I came here."

"And you believe we might be of assistance?" she queried.

"Well, I assumed since this is the only house I've seen around here," he answered.

This was getting weirder and weirder to Aurora, even in this world. "And just what do you need help with?"

"It's a very long story."

"I see..." Aurora replied. She didn't know why she was doing this, but hey, it wasn't the first time she'd met a mysterious boy with white hair. "Well, why don't you come inside and explain your very long story to us?"

"Yes, but you may not believe me," he said, looking away.

"Believe me, we will," she reassured, winking at Waya who winked back and became interested in his story, too. "By the way, my name's Aurora and this is my good friend Waya."

The hedgehog shook her hand and his paw, dipping his head in greeting. "My name is Silver the Hedgehog." When Aurora took a good look at his face, she saw in surprise that his eyes were golden just like the star in her dream last night. The star was actually this white furred Mobian?

_Boy, this definitely isn't the first time I've met a mysterious boy with white hair, but I'd better hear him out first before I tell him anything._

"Well, then, welcome to our home, Silver the Hedgehog," Aurora said calmly with opens arms and leading the way inside. "Please, come in."

Silver nodded respectfully and followed her and Waya in.

_First Sonic, then Shadow, and now Silver. It's usually a hedgehog in this world, ain't it? I wonder what his background is...especially since I dreamt of him last night._

* * *

(Boy, it's always something with Aurora, huh? Whether it's a hedgehog or a boy with white fur. Anyway, I'm sorry most of the first chapter was a description of the first two stories, but I just wanted to explain it to those who haven't read those stories or to those who might've forgotten a few things from those stories. But I'm sure none of y'all are amazed and pleased to see it's Silver, huh? ;) Look forward to the new chapter and God bless.)


	2. Sharing Stories

**Chapter 2: Sharing Stories**

Silver sat on the red couch looking around the living room with Waya keeping him company and Aurora making refreshments for their visitor. She knew she should call Shadow about him, but she wanted to know Silver's story before the dark hedgehog came over and ask him to leave. He only let Waya stay the first time because he was hurt, but Silver, however, was perfectly all right.

_I just want to get to know him. I saw him as a star in my dream last night. I dreamt about Waya, so there must be an explanation to why Silver's here._

Silver tapped his foot on the floor, not sure how to tell Aurora and Waya about himself even though they assured him they'd believe him. He took a small glance at the wolf who was looking in Aurora's direction and the white hedgehog couldn't help wondering how she was able to tame a wild animal like him.

"Here we are," Aurora announced bringing out a tray of crust-less sandwiches with three empty glasses and a picture of lemonade. "I hope this'll be okay."

"Oh, sure," he nodded politely, taking a glass of lemonade that she'd handed to him. To his confusion, she poured a glass with a straw for Waya and laid it on the coffee table in front of the white wolf who nodded in gratitude.

This made Silver just as interested in their story together as they were in his. "So..." Aurora said, sitting down making Silver sit up straight. "tell us about yourself. Where are you from?"

"...That part is... Well..." he began hesitantly, trying to find a way to explain. These two didn't even know he'd come for their help, so how could he possibly tell them about his origins? "I'm...I'm from the future."

Waya spit his lemonade up in shock and coughed. Aurora's eyes widened in amazement, her body frozen for a moment. She blinked before she said, "The future, huh?"

He nodded, bracing himself for her next words. He looked at the spit up lemonade on the table on Waya's corner. "Uh, let me get that," he offered. He opened a hand and faced it to a napkin on the tray and made it float to the mess on the table and wipe it off. "It's kind of my fault he reacted like that, anyway," he added as he concentrated on wiping the table with his strange powers.

"That's...nice of you," she replied as she stared in awe as he cleaned. "Um, could I ask what kind of gift do you possess that helps you do that?"

"Oh, well, I have a power that's called telekinesis," he explained as he finished wiping. He looked for the nearest waste basket to throw the used napkin away in.

"Just leave it on the tray, I'll throw it away later," Aurora told him. He nodded and gently laid the wet napkin down on the tray. "Telekinesis, huh?" Aurora asked quietly with great fascination. "Very interesting..."

"Thank you," he nodded, grinning in flattery.

"You're welcome, though I must say, I'm used to seeing Mobians with unique abilities, so your power is not completely surprising, despite who amazing it is. However, I'm actually more concerned that you came from the future."

"Yes, you see..." he started, looking a little hurt as he described Mobius in his time. "Everything has fallen into ruins by a monster born into flames... The Flames of Disaster called Iblis. Before I was born, everyone lived in despair and misery."

Aurora and Waya stared in dismay and sadness as he continued. "There seemed to be no hope left at all for our world...that is until two of us dared to find a way. My friend, Blaze, a princess cat, and I sought and fought Iblis countless times. Finally, we defeated him...but it cost me my most trusted friend..."

Aurora gasped and her eyes lowered in sorrow. "Oh, Silver, we're so sorry." Waya nodded in agreement, for he knew what it was like to lose his loved ones to a monster...

Silver's hands shook on the glass he was holding, remembering the pain of losing his dear friend... He took a deep breath to calm himself and went on. "I thought that was the end of the war and that my world was going to be just fine, but..."

"But what?" she pressed gently.

"Even thought our enemy is gone, my world is still a wasteland. We don't know how to restore it to make it look more like this place," he said, noting Forgotten Peak. "That is, until I was floating over a city with the streets covered in lava, I saw a portal in front of me that showed me this world and I heard a distant voice telling me that I'd find the help I would need. I didn't want to leave my world at first, but if there was a way to find assistance here, what else could I do if I'd stayed? When I flew through the portal, the voice said to come to this mountain and you know the rest."

"So let me get this straight," Aurora started to clarify, putting down her glass. "A voice in your time somehow made a portal and asked you to come to this world in the past, and it asked you to come here for...our help?"

"Well, there's no one else here, are there?" he queried.

"No, it's just us," she replied, indicating Waya and herself.

"Then, please can't you help me?" he asked with pleading eyes. "I know we just met, but my future is in ruins. That'll mean both of your future along with everyone else's here will be in ruins."

"Whoa, wait, Silver, I'm well aware with the situation and so is Waya," she said with Waya nodding sincerely, "We'd really, really love to help. After all, Mobius is a wonderful and amazing place and we love it very much."

It was true, Mobius had become her home for a while now and she'd had the best times and met the greatest friends ever since she came here.

"But how can we help you? We didn't even know about you until..." Then she trailed off, remembering the dream she had of him being a shooting star of bluish green last night...

_Was...was that dream telling me we're supposed to help Silver...? But how? ...Well, I didn't know how to help Waya, but somehow I was able to..._

"Aurora?" Silver said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Then she remembered her aura and how she was able to use the Chaos Emeralds to destroy a giant robot and turn evil men into animals... Maybe if she had one of the Chaos Emeralds... "Well, before I say yes or not to help you, let me explain our stories to you."

Silver listened intently as Aurora told him of her arrival from Earth to Mobius and how she met Sonic. She noticed the sound of his name definitely perked Silver's ears, but he didn't interrupt her as she continued with how she met Sonic's others friends and his enemy Dr. Eggman who wanted to use her mysterious aura to power up a destructive contraption with a yellow Chaos Emerald to enhance it, and it amazed Silver to hear how she was able to turn the tables on the doctor when she used the gem to destroy his giant killing machine.

Then she explained how she had to com to Forgotten Peak to stay in hiding until her friends found and hid all the other Chaos Emeralds so the mad scientist couldn't use them to enhance her aura again. "I thought I was gonna be alone until Waya here showed up."

"So a wolf came up to your house one day? And you were able to keep him as a pet?" Silver questioned curiously.

That made Waya growl at the white hedgehog when he was called a pet.

"Waya," Aurora said sternly, "There's no need to act like that. He hasn't heard of your story yet."

Waya, knowing she was right, took a deep breath and his fur that stood on end flattened. Silver wondered why he was so mad when he called him that.

"You see, Silver, Waya wasn't always a wolf. He used to be a human boy."

"What?" Silver asked with wide eyes, looking at the white wolf. "But how did...?"

She explained to him when Waya first fell down in her yard with injuries and how she took him in and learned he was a runaway Owayan keeping a red Chaos Emerald safe from his remaining people who turned evil and tried to threaten Waya's life to make Aurora tell them all the secrets of the emeralds. Silver was impressed that she tricked them all and used the jewel to turn against them and change them into animals. The white hedgehog was also in awe of Waya's bravery of sacrificing his humanity and almost his life so his former leader would never be able to hurt anyone ever again as a man.

"Thankfully, Waya came back here alive, but wounded, although he healed fast since that's how special Owayans are," Aurora concluded, winking at Waya who blinked in gratitude. "Unfortunately, I couldn't use the emerald to change him back. You see, since I punished his people to be animals until they've learned from their mistakes, we believe he'll only change back until, then."

"So until he does turn back into a human, you've asked him to stay," Silver deduced.

"That's right, and Shadow finally learned to trust him to live with me so that we could explore the forest without much worry. And it was thanks to Waya we have a 4th Chaos Emerald in the first place...which is why I think I might know the answer to your problem."

"Really? You do?" Silver asked with hope glimmering in his yellow eyes.

"Yes, if I can use the Chaos Emeralds to defeat enemies," she theorized, "then maybe, just maybe with all seven together, I can use them to help restore things in your time."

"That might work!" he declared excitedly, jumping off of the couch. "We just need to find the last three, right?"

"Yeah, but the thing is, I'm not supposed to leave the mountain. You see, as long as Eggman's looking for me, I can't risk being discovered if I mingle. However, you can still go and hey, you can help Sonic and Shadow with the search."

"Sounds like a plan," Silver agreed, then he thought for a moment. "Hold on, you said that using the Chaos Emeralds weakens you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, they do. Although, when I worked the yellow Chaos Emerald, I only got hurt from breaking out of the tube I was trapped in, not from using the gem. At least that's what Shadow thought when I worked the red Chaos Emerald and only came out light-headed."

"So, if working one Chaos Emerald makes you weak...what would happen if you used all seven?" he questioned.

"I don't know," she confessed, "but I think we should at least try."

Waya got out of his seat and walked up to Aurora, putting a paw on her knee. Aurora wondered what was wrong and lowered her head to his.

"_Aurora, wait, are you sure you want to try using all seven Chaos Emeralds?_" Waya queried doubtfully. "_Maybe using an emerald the second time made you light-headed, but using all of them might be too much. Should you risk it?_"

"Um, excuse me, but what are you doing?" Silver asked, noticing the quiet pause from them.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, apparently, like I said earlier about us hearing each other from long distances, we have a strong bond that helps me hear Waya's thoughts. That way we can communicate."

"Wow..." he replied, getting more and more amazed by these two. "So what did he say?"

"He's not sure if I should use all seven Chaos Emeralds even though using one only weakened me, not damage me." She looked to Waya and said, "Waya, Shadow said using the yellow emerald might not have been the thing that injured me. Just from breaking out of that tube."

"_Maybe, maybe not, but I'm just saying, what would happen if you used all seven?_"

"What's he saying now?" Silver asked.

"He's wondering what would happen if I tried to use all seven." She rubbed Waya's head and insisted quietly, "Waya, he needs our help. Mobius needs our help."

"_I'm not saying we shouldn't help him, but..._"

Suddenly, Silver got up from his seat and walked towards the door.

"Silver? Where are you going?" Aurora asked as he opened the door.

"He's right," Silver replied, not looking at her. "Using the Chaos Emeralds drains your energy, at least from using one. You don't know what would happen if you used all of them, so..." He head hung for a moment and he seemed to be shaking for a moment which kind of worried Aurora. He firmly shook his head to stop his whole body from shaking and turned to them, "I appreciate that you wanted to help, Aurora, I really do, but...I'd rather not get anyone hurt."

Just like that, his body glowed in bluish green and he made for the skies.

"Silver!" she called, running outside to see him off in the blue wander. "Silver, wait!"

"Bye, Aurora," Silver waved as he flew upwards. "Thanks for hearing my story. And, sorry for calling you a pet, Waya."

Waya just stared as he sat down next to Aurora to see him fly away, although he wasn't mad at Silver since he didn't know he was a human before.

"Silver, where will you go?" Aurora hollered.

"I don't know yet," Silver called back, "Hopefully, there'll be someone in this time who can help." He grinned and looked down at the two. "Take care, you guys."

Aurora and Waya watched him leave to who knows where, not believing their meeting of their guest was shortened like that.

Waya whined, looking at Aurora with an apologetic look. Aurora wasn't angry with him and she bent down to stroke his fur. He reached his head for hers and said, "_I'm sorry, Aurora. I do want to help Silver save Mobius in his time, but I just..._"

"I understand, Waya," she interrupted. "You were just concerned for me."

Still, she really wanted to help Silver. She had a dream about him last night just like she'd have dreams about Waya and Silver looked like he was really in need. Not to mention, Mobius was going to face great disaster and even with no monsters around, it was still in trouble of remaining a land of despair. She wanted so much to help give Silver and the other future generations of this world a better time and place.

_I guess when Silver said he didn't want anyone to get hurt, I guess he was thinking about his friend Blaze..._

* * *

Silver flew high in the blue sky, headed south of the mountain. He didn't know what or whom he was going to find, but he didn't want to get Aurora to get harmed if she used her aura to work all seven.

_When Blaze used two Chaos Emeralds, I ended up losing her..._

He shed a tear in memory of that dreaded day, clenching his fists. He wiped the tear from his eye and fixed his gaze on the path he was going.

_I can't bear to see that sort of thing to happen again. I may not have known Aurora for long, but she doesn't deserve to suffer the same fate. I'll just have to find another way to save my future._

However, even though his time with them was very short, he was going to miss Aurora and Waya. From the stories he heard, they seemed like very interesting and nice people. He wished he could've had enough time to befriend them.

* * *

(Well, guys, I hope this chapter was okay, but honestly, I think I could use some suggestions. I'm kind of in a stump with this story and I don't know what else to think of. If you could help me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks and God bless.)


	3. Lonely Wanderer In The Sky

**Chapter 3: A Lonely Wanderer In The Sky**

That afternoon shortly after Silver left, Aurora had called Shadow to tell him about Silver. At first, he looked very upset that she'd let a stranger into her home without calling him this time, but he kept quiet and listened intently as she explained where he was from and how Mobius will be in danger someday.

"He says that even though Iblis is gone forever, Mobius is still devastated. That's why..." Aurora hesitated, twiddling her fingers, "I offered to help by...us collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds for me to use in order to restore everything in his time." She smiled nervously. "Interesting idea, huh?'

"Interesting?" he repeated in disbelief. Waya flinched as the dark hedgehog lectured. "That's an insane idea. Why would you volunteer to do something like that?"

"Shadow, Mobius will be doomed someday. Isn't it our responsibility?" Aurora asked.

"Mobius is not _your_ responsibility, Aurora, it's just ours."

"Just ours?" she echoed. "Excuse me, I've helped you guys stop the Mega Egg-droid and gave you back the yellow emerald so you and Sonic can stop the Egg-Scrambler. I helped because I was responsible for Mobius almost being in danger in the first place."

"Aurora, Eggman was the one who tried to put Mobius in danger," Shadow reasoned gently.

"But Mobius still needed help. And it still needs help," she insisted. "This is bigger than Eggman. This world is going to fall into ruins because of a monster. Silver and his friend Blaze stopped him, but it's still a wasteland. He needs our help."

"I understand, but didn't you tell this Silver about what happened to you when you used the Chaos Emeralds?" Shadow questioned, his arms folded.

"Yes, but you told me that perhaps when I only felt light-headed from using the red emerald instead of getting really hurt like I was when I worked with the yellow one, you thought that maybe that I only got hurt from breaking out of that tube."

"Yes, I did say that, but even if just working with one emerald doesn't hurt you, using all seven probably would," Shadow replied. "What did he say after you told him about the emeralds weakening you?"

"Well, he said that...he doesn't want me to get hurt if something bad happens by using all seven, so even though he appreciated my offer, he left to find help someplace else."

"Well, he was definitely considerate of others' safety," he commented.

"But, Shadow, you don't understand. I think I should help him. He came here because a voice in his time asked him to, the voice that helped him come here to begin with. I had a dream last night that he came as a shooting star in a bluish green light, the same colors he wears when he uses his telekinetic powers. Although, I couldn't see his body through that light in that dream, I could see his golden eyes, the same colors Silver's eyes have. He said that the voice asked him to come here because he'd find help here. Help from us."

Shadow paused for a moment, thinking about all this. How did a voice in the future know about Aurora and help Silver find her home? Although he was curious, he still didn't want Aurora to use the Chaos Emeralds. What if they used up all of her energy and...?

"Shadow, please," Aurora pleaded, bending down and holding his hands. "If you think it's best for me not to use the Chaos Emeralds, fine, but can't you and Sonic help him? Knuckles told me that you two can go super with all emeralds. Don't you think you can use that kind of power to help Silver?"

Shadow was sort of surprised to hear such desperation in her voice and to see such fear in her eyes. Actually, this was a very serious situation. Mobius may be fine now, but later like Silver said... But he didn't know how Sonic and Shadow could restore the world by going super. They could do it to defeat enemies, yes, but bring life back to a devastated place...

He didn't know what to say to Aurora, but he gripped her hands and in a clear voice. "All right, we'll help. Because if we don't, like you said, Mobius will be in trouble for all time."

"Thank you, Shadow," she nodded happily.

"Well, don't thank me yet..." Shadow replied, looking away. "I mean, we still need to find the last three emeralds and figure out how to get to Silver's future. Not to mention, we need to find Silver himself. Do you know where he went?"

"He headed south from here. He said he doesn't know where he's going. Just to find someone else who can help."

"Well, then, help will find him," Shadow declared, walking towards the door. "If he's flying, then I think I'll need Rouge and Omega's help since they're made for the air." He stopped to the door and looked at Aurora. "Oh, and next time, please call me when you have another guest." Which he hoped wouldn't be anytime soon. He wasn't sure how many strange visitors he wanted to find Aurora's home and he hoped two would be enough.

"Yes, sir," she nodded.

"Of course, I understand your reason to hear him," Shadow said, looking at the sky. "You did dream about him just like you dreamt about Waya and meeting him benefited us all since he helped us with the red emerald and stopped his people from causing more harm to everyone."

Waya smiled and wagged his tail in gratitude.

"I just hope he'll accept me and Sonic's offer to help," Shadow concluded, then took off into the woods.

Aurora and Waya watched him go on the patio, and she wondered how far Silver was already.

_Hopefully, not too far and more importantly, he's safe._

Waya put a paw on her knee, beckoning for her to bent down to reach her head.

"_They'll find him,_" he reassured. "_I mean, hey, how hard can it be to find a white hedgehog flying in the air?_"

"Well, for one, the sky is vast, and that depends on how fast he can fly," she replied. "Not to mention, he'll have to land somewhere sooner or later."

"_Well, who knows? He might come back here_," he supposed.

"Maybe, but he did say he doesn't want us to get hurt," she put in. Aurora did understand his reason since he lost Blaze. And Waya understood since he didn't want Aurora to get involved with his people who chased after him when he stole the gem from them. And unfortunately, she did.

"I just wish I could use the emeralds to help," she confided.

"_Well, hey, leave that to Sonic and Shadow. They'll do just as well. I mean, from what you've told me about them, they're practically legends._"

It was true, Sonic and Shadow were very well known to be heroes on Mobius and they've saved lives more than a person could count. If anyone could help Silver and Mobius's future, it's them.

* * *

Shadow came straight back to G.U.N. and informed Rouge and Omega the news of Aurora's new mysterious visitor. They were amazed that someone from the future had come and they were shocked to hear what was going to happen to their world someday. That's why Shadow asked them to take to the skies and search for him.

After that, Shadow went to look for Sonic and found him in Knothole in Tails's workshop discussing where to look for the next Chaos Emerald. They listened to Shadow's story about Silver and his mysterious arrival to Aurora's home and why he came to her.

Just like Shadow's G.U.N. partners, both Sonic and Tails were amazed and in dismay at the news of Mobius's future.

"She wanted to help Silver by using all seven of the Chaos Emeralds so that maybe she can restore it herself," Shadow concluded.

"But what makes her think she can do that?" Tails asked.

"Well, she did use the yellow Chaos Emerald to turn Eggman's giant toy into scrap metal," Sonic reminded him, "Not to mention, she did turn Waya's people into animals with the red one."

"Yes, but we still don't know what might happen to her if she uses all seven," Shadow put in. "When Silver heard what happened to her when she used the both the yellow and red gems, he voted against the idea and left her house because he didn't to risk her safety. Frankly...I'd rather we don't, either."

Shadow just couldn't stand the idea of Aurora getting seriously hurt or worse. Shadow had lost his first best friend Maria and he'd lost Molly whom he'd spent very little time with... The thought of losing Aurora, too, was just unbearable.

"So," Shadow went on, making himself focus on the situation now. "Aurora suggested since it'd be too dangerous for her to use the emeralds herself, she believes you and I can do it because we both can turn super with all seven."

"Well, yeah, but didn't you tell her that our powers from all seven only help us defeat bad guys and not restore things?" Sonic asked.

"No," he shook his head regretfully, "She seemed so desperate to help Silver because she dreamt about his coming to her. I just couldn't say we can't do it."

Sonic thought about all of this for a moment. He wondered why was it that Aurora would dream about guys who'd come to her like this. She dreamt of Waya coming as a wolf giving her a Chaos Emerald and now a telekinetic hedgehog from the future. What concerned him the most was what was going to happen to this world.

With a determined look, he said, "Then we should do it. Aurora dreamt of him for a reason and he came to our time for a reason. We may not have met him yet, but if Mobius is in danger, then we should try what we can to save it."

"But, Sonic, you and Shadow can't restore a world..." Tails started doubtfully, but Sonic interrupted him.

"Don't worry, pal," he reassured with a thumbs-up, "There's got to be something we can do and if there is, we should find it. But first, we find all of the Chaos Emeralds, then figure out what to do."

Sometimes Shadow couldn't understand Sonic's confidence, but he knew he had a point. Even if they can't help the future by going super, they should at least find a way. He nodded and pronounced, "Right, then let's find Silver and then find the rest of the emeralds."

* * *

Somewhere in the blue sky above the land of Mobius, Silver was still heading south from Aurora's home Forgotten Peak. So far, he hadn't found signs of other civilization yet.

He stopped for a moment and stared down at the ground below him, feeling so confused. "Oh, Blaze, what am I doing?" he asked, holding his head. "I don't even know where to go. I wish you were here."

Blaze was usually the one who'd keep Silver moving whenever he felt like this. To help him figure out what to do. Now she was gone and he himself felt very lost without her advise and guidance.

"Okay, voice!" he hollered to the sky. "What do I do now? Where else can I go for help?"

He waited a few seconds for a response, but heard nothing but the wind that blew through his long white quills. He groaned silently and just as he started to fly any more forward, he heard a whisper in his ear.

"Go back."

"Huh?" Silver stopped as soon as he heard the voice.

"Go back."

"I can't go back," Silver argued. "I can't put Aurora in danger."

"You were asked to go there for a reason," the voice told him softly, "Go back."

"But if I go back and ask for her help again, what would happen to her when she uses all seven Chaos Emeralds? Will she be all right afterwards or will she not?" he persisted.

"Go back," the voice repeated.

"Not until you tell me if she'll be okay after she helps me," Silver rebuked defiantly, "I lost one friend already! I don't Aurora to end up like her, too."

"Go back. You need her...and she needs you."

Silver blinked in surprise. "She needs me? For what?"

"Go back..." When everything was silent, Silver knew he was alone again.

"I don't get it," he told himself quietly, "He said she could help me...but what can I do to help her?"

He folded his arms and wondered what to do. He didn't want Aurora to suffer, but Mobius would still suffer unless she helps him...

He remembered how willing Aurora was to help the young white Mobian with his future and he couldn't help admiring her for that. She seemed very nice and selfless... In fact, from the stories she shared with him, she really did seem like it...

He clutched his arm and clenched his teeth, afraid of what would happen to her if her life was lost by using all seven emeralds... "I can't..." he muttered.

He asked himself that Blaze would say. She'd definitely call him naive for thinking negatively like this...and she'd tell him that the world needs to be saved...which was why she gave up her life to help the future. He didn't want to. He really didn't want to...but if Aurora was the only one who can help, then...

He took a deep breath and called, "All right, voice, I'm going back." He turned around and headed back north to Aurora's mountain home, hoping she wouldn't be mad at him for leaving so suddenly and more than anything, if there was a way to help like the voice said, he'd be able to make sure she wouldn't lose her life.

* * *

(Hey, guys, I'm sorry if this chapter is short, but the thing is: I've kinda got writer's block with this story so updating this is gonna be slow, but I'll do what I can to make it good. Please stay with me and God bless.)


	4. The Prodigal Son Returns

**Chapter 4: The Prodigal Son Returns**

That evening, Aurora had spent several minutes on the roof by herself with Waya watching from his bedroom window. He thought he should join her, but he could tell she wanted to be alone to think about everything that happened today.

He sort of felt guilty because he was the one who shared his doubts regarding her safety which was what made Silver leave to begin. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Silver or everyone's future. It was just he was scared for Aurora. She nearly perished the last time she used the yellow gem, even though it was just breaking out of that tube that could've hurt her so badly. And yes, she was only unconscious from using the red gem. Still, what would happen to her if she used all seven?

He wondered just was it about Aurora's aura that gives her such power with the gems. He remembered that Aurora mentioned the Healers whom she and Shadow met and how they could sense her aura and how good it was. Unfortunately, that was all they could tell her.

He also remembered that this Dr. Eggman somehow knew. And he wondered if he'd really try to find her again. He sure hoped not. He wasn't there, but he could imagine how frightened she was when she was trapped in that awful tube that sucked away her energy that could've cost her her life and it nearly did when she broke out.

He recalled that Aurora said that she guessed that her aura increases with the emerald's power when she wants to help someone which was what she wanted when Sonic and Shadow were injured by that giant evil robot and when Waya's life was threatened by his rogue people.

He thought that maybe this power of hers comes from her heart. After all, Waya wanted in his heart to stop his insane people from using the red Chaos Emerald from harming more innocent lives, even though he knew the danger it would've cost him.

This Silver seemed just the same. Shouldering the weight of the word's safety just like Waya did...and just like Aurora does now. He knows how much she wants to help Silver save Mobius, even though this world wasn't hers. She'd put her life on the line to protect others just like he and Silver would. Waya grinned how much they were so much alike. Now he wondered how and where Silver was at right now. He turned to Aurora whose gaze was still fixed on the starry sky.

Aurora wondered how Shadow and the others were going to find him. Like she told Waya a while ago, it wouldn't be easy. He could've been anywhere by now. Hopefully, like Waya had said, he'd come back here.

_Silver does kind of remind me of Waya, not wanting to put other people's safety at risk._

That made Aurora want to help Silver even more. She didn't know him for very long, but she could tell he was a selfless and just young man just like Waya. Although, it kind of made her wince when she remembered how Waya took him for a threat when he came to their house and how angry Waya was when Silver mistakenly took him for Aurora's pet. She hoped that when and if he comes back, the two boys in white would get along better.

The silence began to feel unbearable and just as she got up, she caught sight of Waya from his window and saw that his ears flattened with awkwardness and smiled when he turned away.

"Come on up, Waya," she called. "I know you're there."

Shyly, Waya carefully climbed up the roof towards her.

"You don't have to be sorry," she told him gently, "You were watching 'cause you were concerned." Waya smiled at her understanding and sat down next to her. "Another beautiful night, huh?"

"_Yep, nothing like it,_" Waya agreed.

"You don't get nights like this in the city."

"_I know, I can't imagine living in a place that's hard to see the stars at night._"

Aurora smiled because they were definitely similar: Two nature kids who never really belonged in the city. "City life is so overrated." Just like that, she started to howl with Waya grinning and howling with her. Waya was always better with this even when he was a human since his name means wolf spirit. Aurora wasn't half-bad, though she preferred his howling.

Little did they know, as they howled at the full moon, a certain glowing Mobian with white fur was close to their mountain home. Silver took a deep breath, knowing there was no turning back now and headed to the lone tri-colored house. He practiced on what he was going to say to them and on his way there through the trees, he stopped when his ears perked at the sound of howling.

"Is that Waya?" he asked himself. But to him, it sounded like there was more than one. "There can't actually be other wolves living here, can there?" He began to worry that more wolves might be at Aurora's house and he flew straight for the house where he saw for himself that the yard was empty. He tilted his head in confusion and looked up to see Waya was indeed howling and so was Aurora, too.

He sighed with relief, happy that they were not in any danger. He listened to them howl for a moment, and he was amazed at how much Aurora's howling was just like Waya's who was a real wolf. He grinned and murmured, "Guess she's got more wolf in her than I've realized."

Suddenly, Waya stopped howling and turned his head, sniffing the air.

"What's up, Waya?" Aurora asked curiously.

Waya sniffed the air and looked into Silver's direction where the white hedgehog hid behind the tree in surprise. This made the white wolf grin since he did the same thing when Aurora saw him and touched his head on Aurora's. "_I told you he'd come back on his own_."

Aurora's eyes widened when she realized he meant Silver. She looked in Waya's direction and she could see one of the hedgehog's white quills sticking from behind the tree. She grinned and called, "Well, the prodigal son returns, huh?"

Silver knew he was caught and made himself come out of his hiding spot and slowly walked up to the house.

"We were wondering what happened to you," Aurora said with one leg resting on the other and leaning back with her hands behind hers. She winked at Waya and asked Silver, "What can we do for ya?"

"I..." he started, rubbing his arm, trying to figure out what to say. "I..." He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and spoke in a clear voice. "I've been thinking about your offer to help and...maybe if you're sure you can help me, then..."

"Say no more, Silver," she said with a wave of her hand. "We'd be more than happy to give ya a hand." Waya stuck up his forelegs at her and raised an eyebrow. "Or a paw, in his case," she added, motioning her head to the white wolf who smiled.

Silver, his eyes filled with gratitude, nodded. "Thank you."

"Come on in," Aurora invited as she climbed down the roof. "Might as well fly through one of our windows."

Silver nodded and flew into Waya's bedroom and he looked around to see his red bed and brown rug which seemed to have some of his white fur. He looked back on his bed to see less of the wolf's fur and wondered if Waya preferred sleeping on the rug than in a bed.

He followed Waya downstairs to see Aurora on the living room sofa waiting for them. He sat on one of the blue chairs with Waya sitting on the red couch next to her.

"So, you're willing to let us help you this time?" she queried with a elbow on her knee with her chin resting on the back of her hand.

"Yes," he nodded.

Aurora knew he was telling the truth, but she was curious to know. "Let me ask you, what made you change your mind?"

"Well, when I was flying south this afternoon, I didn't know what to do or where to go, so I called for wherever the voice was and asked it to tell me what to do. It said to go back. I didn't want to at first and I asked it to tell me..." He stopped for a second and looked at Aurora and then said, "what would the consequences be."

"I see," she understood sincerely. "And what did the voice say?"

"It says that...I need you...and that you need me."

Both Aurora and Waya looked at each other with confused raised eyebrows and turned back to Silver. "I need you?" she asked. "What did he mean by that?"

"He didn't answer. He just said to go back and then I was alone again. I thought for a moment and even though I said I didn't want to get you hurt, I still need help with my world. And since the voice did bring me to you..."

Aurora smiled and said, "That's true, you were brought here for a reason and I dreamt about you for a reason."

Silver looked up at her in surprise and wondered what she meant. "Last night," she began to explain, "I had a dream where I was flying in outer space, but then I stopped to see a shooting star slowly flying towards me and what was odd about the star was that it was glowing in a bluish green light with golden yellow eyes."

Silver's eyes widened when she knew whom she was describing. "Are you saying you saw me?"

"It had to be you. When we saw you this morning, I could see the resemblance and since I've had dreams about Waya before, I knew there was something about you that was mysterious, too."

"Was that why you were willing to listen to my story?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but even if that wasn't the case, we still would've listened because we ourselves have interesting stories ourselves as you already know."

Waya nodded in agreement.

"And, dream or no dream," Aurora went on, her tone a little serious, "You need help. Mobius needs help. You defeated Iblis, yes, but Mobius is still in trouble and you need all the help you can get. I know this world isn't mine, but it is my friends' world and if an outsider like me won't help, who will?"

Waya smiled at her with Silver staring at her and to him, it was like he could see Blaze through the red head's eyes, a noble person who'd risk her life to do what was right. He grinned and asked, "So, then we're all agreed?"

Aurora and Waya nodded and stuck out a hand and a paw to him. He shook both and said to Aurora with both of his hands on hers. She blinked at the serious expression on his face and firm tone in his voice as he said, "And, even though I don't know how I can help you yet, I will try to see to it nothing will happen to you when you help me."

She seemed taken aback in surprise, but she couldn't help remembering how protective Shadow was when he promised to keep her safe when they first met.

"Thanks, but let's worry about that until the time comes," she told him with a small smile.

Then, Silver's eyes widened when they all heard a gurgling sound and his cheeks turned red when he held his stomach.

Aurora gasped when she remembered. "That's right, you didn't eat at all." She recalled that he never ate those sandwiches since he left so quickly.

Silver shook his head, feeling very awkward for his stomach to expose his hunger like this. Aurora and Waya understood since this sort of thing happened to them before. They both got up and headed for the kitchen. "Come on, I'll make ya somethin'," she pronounced, indicating her finger for him to follow.

He obeyed and sat at the table while Aurora reheated some leftover chicken and rice and handed him the warm bowl with a fork and a glass of juice. He nodded a thank you and took a bite, his eyes lighting up with delight.

"Wow, this is good!" he complimented.

Aurora smiled, happy that he liked her cooking since she was still learning how. She'd hadn't started to learn until she met and stayed temporarily with Amy at her apartment where she taught her how to make some things. "Glad you like it."

As Silver ate happily, he remembered how hard it was to find decent food in his world and he felt a twinge of guilt that he was enjoying this hot meal while everyone else in his time was going hungry.

After he was done, it was starting to get late and Aurora announced, "Why don't we all call it a night? We'll speak more in the morning."

Although Silver wanted to discuss more with her and Waya, he didn't object, but he had to ask about something. "Um, excuse me, but where should I sleep?"

Aurora thought for a moment and since both she and Waya had rooms in their own, that only left the red couch. Before she could say anything, Waya touched a paw on her leg and she leaned down for his head to touch hers.

Silver still couldn't get used to this sort of connection they had that helps Aurora read Waya's thoughts and he liked to know more about it.

Aurora removed her head and nodded and turned to Silver. "Waya says that you and he and share his bedroom."

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that. I wouldn't want to crowd," Silver declined politely.

"It's okay," she reassured, "and he says you can even take his bed since he prefers to sleep on the rug as you could see from the white fur you saw on it on your way down here."

Waya grinned and nodded. Silver followed the wolf upstairs and both boys in white bid Aurora good night and Silver lay under the red covers with Waya finding a comfortable position on his rug. The hedgehog wondered why he liked sleeping on that rug instead of the bed, but he guessed a wolf, even though he was a human before, would like to sleep on the floor more than a bed. Suddenly feeling exhausted from a long day, he closed his eyes and both boys fell asleep.

Aurora, in her bedroom, decided to tell Shadow the good news and turned on her com, hoping he hadn't gone to sleep yet.

"Hello?" asked the deep voice that was Shadow's.

"Good news: Silver came back," she announced.

"Really?" he asked in amazement.

"Yes, but he's asleep now, so I think it'll be best to talk to him in the morning."

"Right," he agreed. "Well, that solves our problem of looking for him, but what made him change his mind?"

"He said on his way to the south from here, he heard that same voice that brought him here and it told him to return here. He was reluctant at first, but he came back and accepted our offer for assistance."

"That's good, but does he know that Sonic and I will be the ones to use the emeralds to help?"

"No, I haven't told him that yet."

"All right, well, just let us explain that part of the plan to him," he instructed. "First thing in the morning, we're all going to meet our new friend."

"Okay, but there's one more thing you should know. When the voice told Silver that he needs me...it also says that I need him, too."

"What does that mean?" he queried.

"The voice didn't say tell him, but Silver hopes that, whatever he can do to help, nothing...bad will happen."

"Hmm..." Shadow thought for a moment. "It's always a mystery that hints something very big."

_Don't we all know it?_

"Well, whatever this kid can do, let's hope his help will be good," Shadow said. "Right now, better get some rest."

"Yes, sir," she replied obediently. "Night, Shadow."

"Night."

She turned off the com and got under the covers, wondering what tomorrow would bring for them all along with their new white friend.

_I wonder...just who and what is this voice that asked Silver to come here to begin with...and what is it that Silver can do that will help me...?_

She knew that the answers will come and probably sooner than she thought and fell asleep, a little excited about the possibility of a new adventure.

* * *

(Sorry this was short, but I'm doing the best that I can with this story. Again, I am open to suggestions if you all have any and ideas are appreciated. Until then, God bless.)


	5. The New Howling Trio

**Chapter 5: The New Howling Trio**

Dawn slipped slowly onto the woods of Forgotten Peak, awakening the birds chirping and singing and the rabbits and squirrels coming out of their burrows to begin their day of collecting food and such.

The early sunlight found its way to the tri-colored house with Silver still sleeping in the red bed that is until he heard a sudden howl that scared him and made him fall off of the mattress with the comforter coming down on him when he lifted his head in bewilderment.

He took the blanket off and saw he was in an unfamiliar room and wondered where he was. Then he remembered coming here from the future and came to stay with Aurora and Waya.

Speaking of the wolf, looked to see that Waya wasn't sleeping on the brown rug. He tilted his head in confusion and turned around to see the window open and looked outside on the roof to see Waya howling at the rising sun.

"Since when do wolves howl at the moon and the sun?" he asked himself quietly.

Then, Aurora's window opened and she peered to see Waya on the roof. "Waya!" she called. He stopped and looked to her. "I know I'm used to this, but we do have a guest who isn't."

Waya looked to see Silver and winced, making a look that said, "Oh, yeah." He waved nervously to Silver.

"He says he's sorry," Aurora explained. "He likes to howl at the dawn and he kind of forgot we have a visitor."

"It's okay," he reassured with a grin. "I'm sort of an early myself, anyway."

She smiled with a nod and pronounced, "Well, we might as well be all up because we need to get ready for more visitors."

"What other visitors?" Silver asked as he made room for Waya to come back into the bedroom.

"When you boys went to sleep last night, I called Shadow and asked him and Sonic to come over this morning so we can discuss what we'll do."

"Hold on, you really told them about me?" Silver asked before Aurora left the window.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And...what was his reaction when you mentioned me?" he asked curiously.

"Well, he seemed very surprised that a person from the future with telekinesis would be knocking on our door, although since he knows Mobius is in great peril, he's glad you came back so we can make our plan."

"That's it...?" Silver queried with a raised eyebrow. "He didn't say anything else?"

"Nnno," she answered, shaking her head. "Why would he?"

Silver looked down in thought for a moment said, "No special reason."

* * *

After breakfast, Aurora was working out in the yard, practicing her self-defense moves with Waya watching outside and Silver waiting inside on one of the blue chairs.

He couldn't understand why Shadow never mentioned to Aurora he and Sonic met him the last time he visited from the future. He'd believed Sonic was the cause for his world's destruction, but it was all a lie and the three hedgehogs used all seven Chaos Emeralds to go super to save the world.

Still, why didn't Shadow say he remembered meeting Silver...? Then he thought that maybe since he came back to the future, Sonic and Shadow and their friends forgot about ever meeting him and Blaze at all, their memories erased of their team work together. That had to be it.

So how was he going to explain to Shadow and Sonic they met before...? He shook his head, telling himself that he couldn't. Telling them would alter time and space, so he promised himself to keep it a secret.

With that, he felt a little tired of waiting and decided to step outside and watch Aurora train and sat next to Waya who dipped his head in greeting. He still found it a little hard to believe that he was once human, but something of him definitely acted like one. He was just glad he knew better than to call him a pet anymore.

He turned his attention towards Aurora who was throwing fists and kicks as if she was fighting an invisible foe and made dodged rolls and jumped a few good inches backwards.

"Wow, is she usually this good?" Silver asked Waya who nodded. The white wolf would've liked to explain to the white hedgehog how Shadow would train her, but since he couldn't speak to anyone except to Aurora through thought, there was no point in trying.

Finally, Aurora made a final jump and made a kick in the air and landed on her feet, panting and wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "Whew, what a workout," she breathed. She turned and saw in surprise that Silver was sitting next to Waya and both boys were waving at her.

"Well, hope you two had a good show," she remarked.

"Is this what you do every morning?" Silver asked.

"Yes, see, Shadow'd started teaching me self-defense the first day we met," she explained, "since he felt it would be helpful to me."

"It seems you've been learning well," Silver observed.

"Thanks, but I have Shadow for that."

"Speaking of which, when are he and Sonic going to be here?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "It's still early so they may be here in an hour or two."

Afterwards, Aurora decided to fix some drinks and hor d'oeuvres for her old hedgehog friends with Silver helping, even though she told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted.

This reminded her of how Waya would want to be helpful and liked how much they were alike. However, although Waya wasn't really jealous, he felt sort of left out that he couldn't help just like he used to when he was human. Sure, Aurora thought up ways for him to do what he could to be of assistance, but still, to help in the way an animal could...

After the snacks and beverages were made, Aurora carried the drinks with Silver using his telekinesis to move the tray of food to the table.

"I do believe you're showing off, Silver," Aurora observed playfully.

"I am not," he objected calmly, "I just like to practice my powers."

"I see," she said, though she couldn't say she believed him or not. Waya was curious about something and prodded a paw on Aurora's knee to talk to her. He put his head on hers and asked, "_Do you suppose he has telepathy, too?_"

"Well, Waya, I think he would've told us if he couldn't, don't you think?" she queried gently.

"_Oh, yeah._" Waya replied, feeling awkward for not thinking that.

"What'd he say?" Silver asked.

Waya shook his head for her to please not to tell, to save him from more embarrassment. Aurora understood and nodded. "Nothing important."

Although, Waya thought it was too bad he couldn't telepathy because it would've been nice if someone else besides Aurora could hear and interpret his thoughts, though he'd feel better just talking with his mouth, but he made sure not to look down about it.

They sat down and waited and Silver wondered what they were all going to discuss once everyone got here. Actually, more than anything, he wondered if they'd recognize him just by seeing him if not hearing his name. If they did recognize him, then it'd be all right, but if not, he'd keep quiet.

What felt like several hours were a few minutes when a knock startled them all, especially Silver and Aurora went to the door and happily met Shadow and her first Mobian friend Sonic.

"Hi, Shadow. Hey, Sonic," she greeted, giving the blue hedgehog a hug since they hadn't seen each other over two weeks.

"Hey, Aurora," he replied, hugging her back. "Glad to see you. And I see things are getting interesting with you again," he implied, seeing Silver in the living room with Waya.

"Well, dull moments don't last very long with me on this planet," she shrugged, giving Sonic a playful nudge.

"No denyin' there," he agreed, since he himself was well known to have adventures on Mobius every now and then.

Shadow turned to the young white Mobian and said, "So you're Silver the Hedgehog we've heard about."

"Yes, sir," Silver nodded respectfully. Okay, so it was clear to Silver they both didn't remember him, after all, so now it was decided to keep his secret to himself. "And I've heard a lot about the both of you," he added, pretending he was meeting them for the very first time. "Shadow and Sonic the Hedgehogs, right?"

"That would be us," Sonic said, shaking hands with him. "Though I really think the three of us should do some about our last names before people think we're related."

Silver grinned, remembering how much of a jokester Sonic would be. Then he shook hands with Shadow whose serious glare reminded the white Mobian how strict he would be.

"All right, well, now that we've gotten formalities out of the way, let's get down to business," Shadow announced, sitting down.

* * *

Once everyone was settled, Silver explained the many disasters of his home in the future where lava was still covering city streets; the natural landscapes of trees and grasses were burned away into ashes; most of the water dried up, and skies looking bleak every single day.

This saddened Sonic, Waya, and Aurora for they were nature lovers and were very disappointed to hear how much of this world's beauty was going to die. Then he explained how everyone was going hungry and how water was so hard to find.

"The only way we save Mobius is to restore plants and water back to the world," Silver concluded. "And so Aurora thought that maybe she could..."

"Um, Silver, pardon me for interrupting," Aurora beckoned, "but there's something I didn't tell you last night because you were tired and it was late."

"What?" Silver asked.

"I've told Shadow about my idea and he has serious doubts about it and he strongly suggests another way."

Silver seemed very happy about this at first because this meant Aurora wouldn't have to use the Chaos Emeralds and risk getting hurt...but... "What other way is that?"

"Sonic and I know how to work the Chaos Emeralds very well and walk out alive," Shadow explained, "If we both find all of them and go super, we might be able to help."

Silver was amazed by this idea and suspicious. He remembered going super with Sonic and Shadow, but they didn't restore lands, just stopped a monster. "And you really think this is a better idea?" Silver questioned carefully.

"Aurora's aura is still new to using the emeralds...and I'd rather if we didn't have to rely on it in case something happens," Shadow answered, giving a look that dared the young Mobian to argue with him and risk her safety.

Of course Silver didn't blame him at all because that was exactly how he felt, but for them to use the emeralds to work the gems... "I understand what you mean," he said sincerely, "but I do have another question: How do we find the last three?"

"We search Mobius until we find something," Sonic answered simply. "Like finding different colored needles in a haystack."

"And how long will that take?" Silver asked.

"We don't know how long," Shadow replied, "but maybe if you help us, like Aurora suggested to you yesterday, it might be easier."

"Yeah, since you can fly, you can be our extra eye in the sky," Sonic added.

"And since you can move objects with your telekinesis, that might be even more helpful if needed," Shadow finished.

"Another difficult thing would be getting to your time," Sonic put in. "Don't suppose you'd know how?"

"Well, what brought me here was the voice," Silver said. "Maybe it can get us there once we find what we need."

"Yeah, maybe, but if it doesn't, we'll have to think of ways to get there," Shadow thought. "Right now, our job is to find the last three emeralds."

Waya moved a paw on Aurora's knee and she leaned close to his head to hear his comment.

"_Excuse me, but will Silver be allowed to stay with us at night?_"

"He said, 'Would it be all right if he can stay here at night?'" Aurora explained. "Personally, it wouldn't be a bad thing if he does. I don't think he'd like staying at G.U.N."

Aurora remembered when Omega brought her over to the military base after Shadow dropped her off with him at Twin Lakes so he could keep her safe and she also recalled how unfriendly the soldiers were and how uncomfortable the place was.

Shadow closed his eyes in thought for a moment and he nodded. "G.U.N. wouldn't be the place for him, but only if he doesn't mind."

Aurora and Waya looked at Silver and Aurora said, "Before you give your answer, even though it's your choice alone, we do think this would be a better place to stay and you know you're always welcome." Waya nodded in agreement. Truth be told, they've both liked Silver already and they wanted to get to know him more, but they kept that to themselves, not wanting to act like they were forcing him.

Silver thought about it for a moment and Forgotten Peak didn't seem like a bad place to spend nights and he'd like to come back to people who knew him already. He didn't like to get in their way, but he wasn't sure about G.U.N. or anywhere else he'd like to be, so the choice was clear.

"I'd like to stay with them," he answered. Aurora and Waya looked at each other with satisfied smiles.

"All right, then, it's settled," Shadow affirmed, then stood up and headed out the door. "Now, let's go."

"Whoa, already?" Silver asked, surprised by the sudden movement.

"You want to find those emeralds as fast as possible, don't you?" Shadow asked him over his shoulder. Silver nodded. "Then let's not waste anytime in finding them."

"Gotta hand it to him, he doesn't rest until a job is done," Sonic commented, though Shadow didn't know whether or not he meant that as a compliment.

"Hang on," Aurora said, going into the kitchen to get something from the fridge and wrapped it up in a cloth, giving it to Silver. "It's the sandwiches from yesterday. In case you get hungry, this'll be your lunch."

"Thanks, Aurora," Silver replied, taking the bag of food. "And thank you for letting me stay."

"Hey, we're all in this together," Aurora smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Plus, you're kind of one of us now." Waya nodded and put a paw on Silver's arm.

Silver grinned that his new friends were accepting him like this and headed out the door with Sonic and Shadow.

"Sorry we can't stay and catch up, Aurora," Sonic apologized, "but we've got emeralds to find."

"It's all right," she reassured with a raised hand. "Just be careful, 'kay?"

"Where's the fun in that?" the blue hedgehog asked with a wink and a thumbs-up.

Shadow rolled his eyes and everyone else just grinned. Aurora and Waya bid farewell to the hedgehogs and watched them leave with Sonic and Shadow running and Silver following by air.

"Huh, first hedgehog we've met who doesn't run," Aurora remarked.

"_Well, he's also the first hedgehog we've met who can use telekinesis and came from the future._" Waya pointed out.

"True," she agreed. "Well, looks like we're alone again, but at least we get a new friend to join us at night."

"_Looks much like it, but we probably won't spend much time with him since he'll be jewel hunting during the day_."

"Yeah," she sighed, feeling disappointed about the amount of time she and Waya would get to see Silver.

And there was no way they were going to catch the white hedgehog on a break seeing as how determined he is to get back home for Sonic and Shadow to help fix things in the future.

_Still...the voice told Silver we'd both help each other... I don't see how I could since Sonic and Shadow are going to do that for me and what could Silver do to aid me? ...Probably by helping them find all of the Chaos Emeralds. That's pretty much what we want. And once we're done helpin' him, we'll take the emeralds and lock them away, so everyone gets what they want. And Mobius survives._

* * *

Silver flew in the air, trying to catch up to the speedy hedgehogs on the ground.

_Good thing my flying's fast enough to get close so I can at least see them._

Still, he wondered about how they were going to find the last three gems and what the voice will do after the search was over.

_If the voice doesn't send us back, we'll have no choice but to think of something else._

Then he remembered about what the voice said about him and Aurora assisting each other.

_She'd volunteered to help by using the emeralds herself, but she's agreed with Shadow that he and Sonic would do it. Then how is that her helping me? Well, she introduced me to them, so if they can restore my world, then that would be her way of helping...I think._

However, how could _he_ help her? He remembered that she and her friends want to lock away all of the Chaos Emeralds so that Eggman wouldn't use any of them to enhance her aura again, so with Mobius being restored and the gems safe, that should satisfy everybody, he thought.

_I kinda wish she'd join us, though, her and Waya. It'd be nice if I could get to know them by day and night, but they have to stay hidden. Or at least she does, anyway, in case the mad doctor is looking for her again..._

* * *

For the next four days, Silver helped with the search party and up 'til now, there was no luck in finding one yet. During that time, he'd met up with all of Sonic an Shadow's friends who were helping to find the emeralds and looking up answers to find out more about Aurora's aura.

He remembered most of them, but none of them remembered him, either, but it was okay. It was just good to see they were well. When the days were over, Shadow'd take Silver back to Forgotten Peak and he and Silver would watch Aurora train self-defense with Shadow.

Silver thought Aurora was fast as well as strong as she'd keep evading most of Shadow's attacks and he recalled that Sonic had taught her how to run faster than she usually did before she came to this world.

He wondered what both he and Waya were like before they met each other, but he was afraid to ask Waya questions because he knew he'd lost everything at such a young age. He felt great sympathy for the white wolf because he himself had suffered through a lot of hard times himself.

At least he still had Aurora, even though he turned into a wolf, but that was the sacrifice he made which also reminded him of how he and Blaze would always be willing to make decisions like that if it meant helping the world... However, the difference was: Waya and Aurora were both still alive and with each other.

After training and dinner, Aurora would show the white hedgehog pictures of her world and he admired the amazing and beautiful sceneries of the water-filled lakes, rivers, and streams, giving life to the trees, grasses, and flowers all around. Not to mention, the seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter that'd make things new and wonderful.

He thought that Earth was a great planet to have all of this, but even though she agreed with that remark regarding nature, she'd give a look that would mean there was something else about her home world she didn't like to tell. He wondered what it was, but he decided to respect her silence.

That 4th night, Silver sat on the window sill in Waya's bedroom and listened to Aurora and Waya howl at the last quarter moon. He liked their howling and it sort of brought peace in his heart to listen to them. He was not used to listening to music since he fought most of his life, but he was happy he could hear it now, even though it was a duo howling like wolves...when in fact, one of them _is _a wolf.

He looked at the forest around the house and he wondered what the place was like. He was sure it was a peaceful home for Aurora and Waya, which he sort of envied them for.

He thought again about what Sonic and Shadow said about using the gems to restore life back to his world, but he still didn't understand how they could do it... He looked back to Aurora and wondered about her aura that'd been so helpful to her before and how he wished he knew she'd definitely survive using all seven emeralds.

Aurora opened an eye and noticed that Silver was hanging by the window and winked at Waya who looked at her confusedly as he kept howling. "Hey, Silver," she called, making the white hedgehog almost jump as he peered his head from the sill. "Why don't you come up and join us? You never howled with us ever since you came here."

Waya nodded and waved his paw, beckoning to climb up and sit and howl with them.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I'm not exactly one to howl at the moon," he declined gently.

"Neither was I until I met Waya," Aurora said. "It may feel awkward at first, but it's really fun."

Waya leaned in and put his head on hers. "_Aren't you talking about when I asked you to sing and dance that made you feel awkward at first until you learned to love it?_" he asked playfully.

"No," she answered firmly in his ear. When they'd first met, Aurora played her songs to Waya who practically begged her to sing and dance just to come out of her shell. She was happy about it, but she still felt shy about telling that to anyone else. So far, it was just Shadow who knew about it, even though he still hadn't heard her sing yet.

"_You know, the others besides Shadow don't know, either_," Waya remembered.

"So?" she queried, gently pushing him backwards with her head.

"_So,_" Waya said, pushing her backwards with his head, too, "_they should hear you sing. How else is it that you can howl like you can now?_"

"Ah, come off it," she grinned when if she was a little annoyed.

"_It's true_," he insisted. "_Come on, tell him you can sing_."

"No, I won't," she argued calmly.

"_Come on,_" he persisted, leaning against her until she was lying down on her back and smiling at his begging. "_Tell him, tell him_."

"Forget it," she giggled.

"Um, could I ask what you're talking about?" Silver asked with a really confused raised eyebrow.

Before Aurora said no, Waya put a paw on her side and he looked at her with a sly grin, raising both eyebrows playfully. Her eyes widened when she realized he was going to tickle her and give out the secret to Silver who would probably do it himself, for all she knew.

"You wouldn't dare," she growled.

He grinned ear to ear, his way of saying, "Try me."

She groaned and explained to the white hedgehog. "He was telling me of how I was actually feeling awkward about dancing and singing, which is why I can howl almost as well as a wolf can."

"Wow, you can?" Silver asked in amazement. "I knew your vocals were good for howling, but I didn't know it was because you can sing."

"Yeah, how can I not have told you that until now?" she asked sarcastically, glaring at the white wolf who grinned nervously. She shook her head and said, "Anyway, yes, and I felt very shy, but Waya encouraged me and I had a lot of fun, feeling loose and happy and all that. And believe me, Silver, if someone like me can sing to others and feel good about it, you can, too."

Silver still wasn't sure, but he didn't want to be impolite so he used his telekinesis to bring himself to his friends and sat down on the other side of Aurora.

"Okay, just listen to our voices first," she instructed, "and then try to match yours to ours." Silver nodded and listened to them howling to the moon for a minute. With a bit of hesitation, he began to howl, though it sounded weak with nervousness. Aurora opened an eye and put a supporting hand on his shoulder. Silver stopped and listened again to their howling and then howled with a stronger voice that impressed both Aurora and Waya who nodded winked at each other in satisfaction.

Silver had to admit, this was kind of fun. He never had the time to stop and enjoy things like this since he'd been a warrior most of his life and that was a very hard life. He just hoped that with Sonic and Shadow's help, everyone in his time will be able to not only have a beautiful and flourishing home, but a very happy existence that they all deserved.

They spent a few minutes howling at the ever so starry and lovely sky, the wind carrying the new melody of the new team of nighttime singers through the quiet peaceful woods, lulling the little forest critters into another comfortable sleep. Finally, they stopped and Aurora and Waya looked at Silver.

"So how was that?" Aurora asked curiously, leaning backwards with her hands behind her.

"It was very interesting," Silver answered. "I never knew how good howling at the moon would feel."

"Totally understand there," she agreed grinning at Waya who grinned back.

Silver looked around the woods again and said, "I have to say, you're both lucky to have a place like this. I haven't seen much of this place, but it seems like a nice home to live in."

"Yes, this place is a dream," Aurora nodded. She'd loved this place very much, being surrounded by the guarding trees, visiting little woodland creatures, swimming in the large lake and dipping her feet in the refreshing cool stream. She had seen a lot of places with Sonic and his friends and enjoyed the wonderful sightings.

The places she'd missed and loved most were Green Hills where she, not only met Sonic, but also learned how to run faster and played in the meadows with Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese.

Another place she loved was the airborne Angel Island where she met Knuckles and learned how to climb trees, use herbs, and saw the wonderful landscapes of jungle trees, springs, vineyards, waterfalls, mountains, and the large Master Emerald that kept the island afloat for centuries.

Now Forgotten Peak had become another place Aurora loved to be, although she felt lonely being here by herself during the day when she first came here, but ever since Waya came, she's felt better to have someone to share her new home with and they were glad to befriend their futuristic friend Silver.

Aurora thought for a moment and said, "Say, how about, if you're not too tired tomorrow evening, we explore this place a bit togther, hmm? We know this place very well and we can show you the best places there are around here."

Waya agreed, wagging his tail.

"Would you?" Silver asked.

"Sure, why not? If you're not exhausted from another day's search tomorrow."

"Well, then, yes, I'd love to," Silver confirmed.

"Then it's settled," she declared. "And how's about we call it a night, huh, boys?"

Waya nodded, seeing as how they were going to need some rest for tomorrow's exploration with Silver.

Silver nodded, too, since he himself was going to need plenty of rest to try to help find the Chaos Emeralds and to go sightseeing Aurora and Waya. They all climbed down to their windows. Well, Silver floated to the window, allowing Waya to go in first and watched as Aurora got to her window.

"Night, boys," Aurora called, but then suddenly lost her footing and began to fall. Silver gasped and acted quickly using telekinesis to stop Aurora from hitting the ground when she was two inches away from it. Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, but when she felt no hard and painful landing, she looked to see she was barley touching the grass below her and saw the bluish green on her body.

Waya came to the window and barked at Aurora and Silver, even though he hadn't known Waya for that long, translated, "He says, 'are you okay?'"

Aurora sighed in relief and said, "Yes, I'm fine, thanks to you, Silver."

Silver nodded, happy that she was all right and Waya had took take a deep breath, his heart almost stopping when he thought Aurora was hurt. The white hedgehog telekinetically carried her through her window and gently put her down on her bedroom floor.

"Well, that was a little scary," Aurora breathed. "Falling down, I mean."

"I know," Silver agreed, "I'm glad I caught you in time."

"I think a railing or a rope or something is in order now," Aurora confessed. "In case next time I start to fall and I need to hold on to something if you're not there."

"Not a bad idea," Silver nodded. Yes, a fall like that could've easily broken a few bones if not worse.

"But we'll talk about that later. Right now, let's get some shut-eye," Aurora pronounced, "Thanks again for the save, Silver."

"Sure thing. Anytime." Silver floated through the window and landed next to Waya who wagged his tail happily and barked, his way of "thanks for helping Aurora," the hedgehog thought.

"Don't mention it, Waya," Silver replied, petting him, but then silently scolded himself for treating him like a pet when in fact, he's still a person on the inside. "But I do think a railing or a rope would be a good idea, like she said."

Waya nodded in agreement. Luck was with Aurora since Silver was a telekinetic Mobian who used his power to save her and he shuddered at the thought of her falling without him to help her. A railing was definitely in order.

Silver again wondered about what the voice said about helping her. Was saving her from falling and hurting herself his way of helping her? But he thought it would have to be even more than just that... He turned his on his side and wished he knew what else to do for her. He sighed and guessed he'd just have to wait until the time was right.

* * *

Aurora was dreaming that night, and she found herself flying in space again. She wondered if she'd see Silver as a star again and as she was flying, she saw the bluish green star a few aways from her and moved towards it.

As she got closer, she noticed that his light was...blinking. She tilted her head in confusion and when she was next to him, she saw that this time, she could make out his body and his head and arms were hanging and his eyes were closed.

_"Silver, are you all right?" _Aurora asked worriedly.

The white Mobian looked up at her and his eyes barely opened when he murmured, _"Aurora...please...help..." _

_Oh, no, he's hurt. But how? What? His light is blinking so... Does this mean that when his light goes out, he'll..._

Aurora's eyes widened with horror and held on to Silver, keeping him safe in her embrace. _"Silver, hang on, I'll help you. Just tell me what I have to do," _she implored.

Silver panted and leaned against her, his light getting dimmer and dimmer and she knew he was getting weaker by the second. She bend down and held his head in her hands for him to look at her.

_"It's gonna be okay. You'll be fine, all right?"_ she reassured, trying to make him stay with her. _"Just tell me what's doing this to you." _

Silver panted and looked at her, looking too weak to speak. Suddenly, all the stars in the sky went out, leaving the two in darkness except for Silver's fading light.

Just then, both Aurora and Silver started falling with Aurora screaming and holding on to Silver protectively and braced herself for a painful fall like last time, but this time Silver would be too weak to save them both.

Then, to what felt like a thud, Aurora opened her eyes and bolted straight up and found herself in her bedroom and leaned fell back in her pillow, panting and wiping the sweat off her forehead.

_That was terrible. I thought we were both done for..._

She stopped and she realized that was the second dream she had of Silver in four days and she wondered what that meant.

_Silver looked like his light was fading away...which meant his life was fading away. But what was taking his life?_

This dream scared her to the point of shaking because she thought that maybe something was going to destroy Silver and she wished she knew what so she could stop it.

_What do I do tell Silver? Or maybe I should just tell Shadow instead when he comes over this afternoon._

She had to let someone know and she didn't know how to explain it to Silver or Waya, so Shadow was the best one to consult with. He knew he'd definitely listen to this since she'd had dreams of Waya and the one dream she had when they first met of herself being captured by Eggman, which sadly happened.

She remembered that terrifying feeling of being taken away by a deranged madman, and she shuddered at the thought of what would come after Silver.

_I don't know what I can do, but whatever this dream is, I have to take it very seriously if it means Silver's life is being threatened._

* * *

(I hope this was satisfying enough, y'all. I know this may not be my best work, but I'm doin' the best I can. Please be patient with me and God bless.)


	6. Uneasy Secrecy

**Chapter 6: Uneasy Secrecy**

After Silver had left the house to meet up with Shadow at G.U.N., Aurora spent the day focusing on her training for about 45 minutes which was longer than the usual thirty minutes she'd spend on exercising her moves.

Waya thought that maybe she just wanted to keep up the good work, but he noticed how intense she looked. As a matter of fact, she'd been awfully quiet at breakfast with him and Silver this morning and the wolf wondered if something was on her mind.

Aurora wasn't even paying attention to how much time she was exercising. She kept her focus on making strong hits and kicks, making sure her dodges were fast and decent. That dream she had of Silver had made her feel very uneasy and she wanted to know what it meant.

She just hoped she could get Shadow alone somehow after training with her this afternoon.

* * *

Meanwhile, Silver was with Sonic and Tails miles away from Knothole, and they were looking through a large, beautiful gorge with a flowing, blue river down below. Sonic, being aqua-phobic, stayed away from the water, so Silver was the one who went down using his telekinesis to keep him in the air and out of the water on one side of the bottom of the wet gorge with Tails on the other.

They looked from top to bottom and found nothing. Silver wished they had something that would lead them to the Chaos Emeralds instead of looking around high and low, like they were finding their way in the dark without a candle.

Sonic rode with Tails in a large jet called the X-Tornado with Silver following them by air. "Are we really just going to just search every inch of Mobius to find the last three?" Silver called.

"It's the best we can do for the moment," Tails replied.

"But you're a genius," Silver said, remembering Sonic saying how intelligent the orange fox is. "Can't you build something that can help us find them?" He remembered hearing about Knuckles having a Master Emerald that's connected to the Chaos Emeralds. "What about Knuckles's emerald that keep his island in the sky? Can't he get it to tell us where they are?"

"It's not that simple," Tails said, "The Master Emerald's not a crystal ball."

"But it has powers that's like the smaller emeralds powers, right?" Silver asked.

"Yeah, but it can never tell us where the Chaos Emeralds are," Sonic explained.

"Then can't we use one of the emeralds we already have to find the rest?" Silver queried.

"That's not an option, Silver," Tails denied. "We can't risk losing the emeralds we've already found in case we lose them. They have to stay locked up on Angel Island, no matter what."

Silver sighed, feeling frustrated by all this. It'd been five days and even though these guys had been fortunate to find the first four emeralds so far, he knew it'd been over two weeks since they were given the red Chaos Emerald by Waya and he wondered how long it would take to find the rest.

"Relax, Silver, we've done this more times than you can imagine," Sonic reassured, winking. "We'll find them all."

Silver nodded, though he wasn't completely comforted. As they kept flying, Silver looked down and saw how vast the green fields were and he saw a little town below them and he imagined how well their lives were in this time.

_No flames, no monsters, no destruction. Just peace, beauty, and happiness..._

He wished he could've stopped to enjoy the sight of that gorge they were just in and the other places of forests, mountains, and beaches they'd seen. All of them so wonderful and miraculous. This was future his people wanted and deserved. What _he_ wanted for them and believed they deserved.

_We've just got to find all of the emeralds and then my world will be saved forever._

Then he remembered his outing with Aurora and Waya this afternoon and he felt the little urge of excitement thinking about the stuff he was going to see in a while. He also recalled Aurora's quiet behavior at breakfast this morning. He wondered if something was bothering her, but he thought maybe she wouldn't tell him.

It seemed to him that whenever Aurora had a troubled look on her face, she'd be silent and not look at him in the eye. It felt like she was keeping secrets, but he thought she'd be more open since she'd been so open regarding her gift and her origins from Earth.

_Maybe she was only open because she dreamt about me coming to her. Because she knows I need help... I wish I had dreams of how to help her..._

Little did Sonic, Tails, and Silver know, a small robot was secretly following them several miles away in the sky, but when they disappeared through the clouds, the robot couldn't go in because the clouds were made of water and it would've shorted out in there. So it had no choice but to go back to wherever it came from. Besides, it had everything it needed to know for its creator...

* * *

Shadow and Silver had returned to Forgotten Peak and Shadow was training Aurora who seemed just as serious as he was as they sparred. Of course she'd be a conscious student, but she wouldn't look so...grim. What was bugging her?

After training was over, Aurora panted and sat down, looking more exhausted than usual.

"Aurora, are you all right?" Shadow asked, kneeling down with an arm on his bent leg. "You look more tired than you usually get after a lesson is over."

Aurora looked to see that Silver and Waya were still inside and not looking out the window. "I've been working out hard this morning," she explained, "I wasn't paying attention to the time, but Waya said that...I was exercising for over an hour in a half."

"That's longer than you and I usually work out together," Shadow remarked, amazed that she'd work that hard for so long.

"The reason being is because I'm frightened and I want to be stronger..." Aurora started to explain.

"For what?" Shadow questioned, getting concerned now.

Aurora looked to make sure Silver and Waya weren't looking and whispered in his ear, "I had a dream of Silver last night." Shadow blinked and nodded to let her know he was listening intently. "I was flying in outer space again and then I saw Silver as a shooting star, but this time I could make out his body and when I came in front of him, his bluish green light was blinking and when I saw his face, he looked like he was ill. He asked me to help him and I started to realize that if his light went out, then he would..."

Aurora shuddered, but kept going, "I asked him to tell me what I could do, but he couldn't breathe a word, and then all of the stars around us went out and he and I fell down into the empty darkness, and the next thing I knew, I was back in my bedroom."

"So the dream you had was of Silver being in danger?" Shadow queried.

"Yes," she nodded, her eyes closed and face pointed to the ground. "I didn't tell Silver, though, because I didn't know what to tell him. I couldn't even tell Waya about it, but I knew you had to know. I'm scared for him, Shadow. That's why I was training so hard in case there was a way I could help him without using an emerald."

Aurora shivered and she remembered how hurt Waya was when he tried to get away from his rogue people who wanted to take back the red Chaos Emerald from him and she recalled when he was captured and imagined his fears of being taken prisoner and people getting hurt, the same fears she had when Eggman took her to use her aura to hurt others...

"You know my dreams of things and people have come true, and I think this one will come true, as well. Something or someone is going to come after him, but I don't know what," she said, starting to be frantic.

Shadow put both firm hands on her shoulders and softly said, "Easy, easy. And I do know all of your dreams have come true."

"Shadow, what are we gonna do?" Aurora asked, holding his hands. "I don't know what to tell him yet."

Shadow looked down in thought for a moment, then looked up at her and pronounced, "Perhaps he should stay up here until we find the last three emeralds."

"I don't know if he'll want to do that," Aurora doubted. "He's not gonna want to wait around and do nothing."

"Hmm...then how about he stays here with you and Waya tomorrow?" he suggested. "You could take him for a walk in the woods."

"It's not a bad idea, but we were gonna do that this evening."

"Then we'll just tell them that you're too tired to go anywhere today, which you are," Shadow put in, seeing the exhausted look in her eyes.

"But will he still stay tomorrow?"

"I'll just ask him to have a day off. You just let me talk to him, but I think maybe you should speak to Waya about this."

Aurora nodded. She couldn't tell Silver, but there was really no reason not to tell Waya. "All right, then, let's go tell them now." She tried to get up, but she grunted, feeling sore from her hard exercises.

Shadow helped her up and ordered gently, "And no more long work outs. You're tough, but you're still new to do these things for more than thirty minutes at least."

"Yes, sir," she replied obediently. Sometimes Shadow would like a protective father, which Aurora didn't mind at all. It showed how much he cared and she appreciated it very much. They walked back to the house and found Waya standing in front of them with the first-aid kit in his mouth since they both agreed to bring one when they climbed up the mountain.

"Oh, uh, Waya, actually, I need to talk to you about that," Aurora told him, taking him upstairs. Waya wondered what was up and followed her to her bedroom with Silver coming in the living room from the kitchen.

"Where are they going?" Silver asked Shadow.

"They're putting up the first-aid kit. She's exhausted from working out very hard this morning and from working out just now. So your outing is gonna have to be put on hold, I'm afraid."

"She's that tired?" Silver asked curiously. "Why was she exercising so hard?"

"Probably just wants to get better," Shadow shrugged simply, which was half-true, "but I told her not to overdo it. Of course, I know you were all looking forward to your stroll of the woods, so how's about you take the day off tomorrow? Aurora should feel much better to walk by then."

"Really?" Silver asked, amazed that he'd get a break like this. "What about the Chaos Emeralds?"

"You just let us worry about that," Shadow told him, "We've managed to find them without you before, haven't we?"

"Right," he nodded. It was just one day, but he still would've liked to help, but at least he'd still have go explore the mountain with his friends tomorrow.

Aurora and Waya were already up in her bedroom where she explained to Waya about her dream of Silver last night.

"I already told Shadow, but I didn't know how to tell you because... I don't know, but you deserved to hear what was going on even if Silver can't hear this yet," she concluded.

"_And you really think something bad's gonna happen to Silver?_" Waya asked.

"Well, my dreams have been telling me things before and if this one showed me of Silver getting hurt, I'm sure it means something very serious," she affirmed solemnly. "Right now, Shadow's letting Silver have the day off and he says we should wait tomorrow to have our outing since I'm tired."

Waya put his head back on her head and said, "_Now I know why you were so quiet and working out so hard. You're worried._"

Aurora put her hands on his head and murmured, "Waya, I'm lucky I could help you the last time." _Except for being able to turn you back into a human. _"I almost lost you in the Cave of Life, and I could've lost Sonic and Shadow, too. I'm not going to go through that sort of thing again."

Waya lifted up a comforting paw to touch her hand and softly said, "_I understand, Aurora, believe me. Silver is one of us, like you said. But what'll Shadow tell Silver the day after tomorrow when he's expecting to join the search parties again?_"

"I don't know yet. We'll just have to wait and see."

"_Well, maybe we should tell him about this,_" he thought, "_I'm sure he'd want to know and he'd want us to be open with him. After all, the last time we weren't honest with each other, we..._"

"I know. I know..." she replied quietly. Yes, when Waya had come here, Aurora gave her a fake name Twilight and Waya pretended he was just a young traveler looking for adventure. They were afraid to put each other's lives in jeopardy if Aurora told Waya who she really was and get him involved for knowing about her aura and if Waya told Aurora about the red emerald he was protecting and get mixed up in his being pursued by his evil people.

"_So are you going to tell him tonight or tomorrow?_" Waya asked her.

"Right now, I don't know how yet."

"_Okay, but don't wait too long_," he advised gently. "_After all, if Silver is our friend, we should prove it to him by letting him know so he'll be aware of the danger on the horizon._"

"Mm-hmm." She was quiet for a moment and Waya put his other paw on her other arm with both of her hands still on his head. They both feared for Silver and wondered what could possibly happen to him and what they could to keep him from harm's way.

* * *

Aurora fell asleep early that night since she was very tired and thankfully, Silver didn't argue. He was on the roof by himself with Aurora and Waya sleeping in their own rooms. He looked up at the sky and wondered more about the sudden change in things today.

_First Aurora's strangely quiet, she's been working out too hard, and I just got a day off._

He laid back on the roof with his hands behind his head and thought if there was a reason for all three or it was just all a coincidence.

_I wonder if Waya and Shadow know anything about this, too. Just what is everyone hiding from me?_

He didn't want to be nosey and get into anyone's personal business, but he couldn't help but feel something was bothering Aurora and he wanted to know what it was.

_Well, we did just meet. We've spent little time with each other. And since she's known Waya and Shadow longer, she's a lot more open with them than with me. Still..._

Silver stood up and flew upwards a few feet from the house below, to be alone among the tall trees and he could see the stars going on miles and miles ahead of him.

"Voice, if you're out there, could you tell me what's going on with my friends?" he asked. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard for the voice's response, but all he could hear was the cool night wind blowing past his white quills.

The white hedgehog sulked with disappointment gently descended back down to house by the bedroom windows. He peered into Aurora's window and saw she was sleeping peacefully which was no wonder since she was plumb wiped out from today.

_If I was the one looking troubled and quiet, what would she do?_

Aurora suddenly turned to the side and Silver's heart skipped a beat, afraid she'd catch him overlooking her like that through her window, but he saw her eyes were still closed. He sighed with relief and noticed her comforter was down below her shoulder.

With a grin, he used his telekinesis to pull the comforter up close to her face, making her shift in content. He nodded a silent good night to her and headed back in through his-well, Waya's- bedroom window and quietly landed on the floor and tip-toed to the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping white wolf on his brown rug.

Nodding a good night to his roommate, Silver slipped under the covers of the bed and closed his eyes, hoping that perhaps tomorrow things would be less confusing.

* * *

That night, Shadow came back to G.U.N. H.Q. and had Rouge and Omega meet with him in an office with Shadow turning his wrist com on to call Sonic and Tails to let everyone know of Aurora's new dream of Silver.

"She's frightened for his sake, and if it's something that's scaring her, we should take it seriously," Shadow concluded.

"But what could be after Silver?" Rouge asked.

"Maybe it is Eggman?" Omega suggested. "It would be my best guess."

"But how could Eggman know about Silver and what would he need him for?" the bat questioned the robot.

"To answer the first question, Rouge," Tails started to explain, "He would've found out the same way he found out about Aurora, by sending robotic spies."

"That'd definitely be how," Sonic agreed, "but what about the second question of Dr. E needing Silver?"

"He's a telekinetic, Sonic," Shadow told him, "He could think of anything to do with a Mobian like that."

"But don't know if it's really Eggman who's after Silver," Tails put in. "It could be someone else."

"Yeah, but Eggman's usually our first suspect to these things, so he's still number one in our book," Sonic said. He knew his enemy well and he's normally the first to stir up some trouble.

"Well, until we know whether it's Eggman or someone else, we all need to keep our guard up," Shadow affirmed. "That means, we'll have to be on the lookout for any robotic spies that might be on our way."

"I know," Tails piped in, "I can make some more of my security satellites for G.U.N., for the X-Tornado, and even Angel Island, too. That way, any robot spies that come in a five miles radius wouldn't be able to get the information they need."

"Sounds like a great idea, pal," Sonic commented, "As long as Knuckles and G.U.N. doesn't mind."

"I'm sure Knuckles will understand if it keeps Eggman from finding out that the Chaos Emeralds we've already found are hidden there," Shadow assured, "And I think we can persuade G.U.N. to let us borrow some of your satellites, for safety's sake."

"But what about Silver in the mean time?" Rouge queried. "He thinks he's getting only one day off tomorrow."

"...Well, we'll see what we can find out tomorrow." Shadow said. "Let's just hope that whoever is after Silver, we'll find them soon and stop them before they can get their hands on him."

* * *

The small robot that had followed Sonic, Tails, and Silver in the sky today flew to large cave and flew through the mouth of the cave that was dark and unsettling in the nighttime, but it found its way through a metal hole at the back of the cave and entered a lab and landed on a table.

The little machine opened its lens to reveal a holographic video of the white hedgehog using his telekinesis to keep him floating in the air and to move aside a few rocks by the water in that gorge they were searching in.

"So, Sonic's got a new friend now, does he?" a bushy, brown moustached man stated, grinning evilly, "And one with telekinetic abilities. First the girl with super energy and now a hedgehog with telekinesis. This all gives me a perfect idea."

* * *

(Uh-oh, guess who's back...? Will Aurora and Waya tell Silver of his mysterious peril? Will they be able to keep the white young hedgehog safe? Find out on the next chapter. Until then, God bless.)


	7. Exploring, Music, and Promises

**Chapter 7: Exploring, Music, and Promises**

The next morning, Aurora and Waya led Silver into the woods, and after a little ways off, they were greeted by the rabbits and birds coming at their feet and shoulders.

"Wow, they're real friendly," Silver remarked, bending down to pet a rabbit. "Don't they mind that Waya is a wolf?"

"No, they can sense he's a person even though he's a wolf on the outside," Aurora answered, stroking a bird's chest that was on her shoulder. "Animals have always had a sixth sense, so that's my theory. You know, to notice things that we don't. Like knowing when natural disasters strike."

"Whoa, I didn't know that," Silver replied.

Perhaps I do have a sixth sense, like Waya said. I mean, with these dreams that keep coming true and this one telling me about a disaster that'll befall Silver...

She made that thought go away and she and Waya took the lead again to the huge lake, its surface moving in the breeze and shining from the sunlight.

Silver gasped in awe and smiled in admiration. "Look at this place. And to think we never had a chance to look at it until now."

"Well, at least with us going today this early, we'll have plenty of time," Aurora put in.

_And during that time, I've got to figure out what to tell Silver about the darkness that's going to shroud him...wherever that darkness is coming from..._

They showed Silver the lake, the streams, the helpful and beautiful flowers and plants used as herbs for curing illnesses and healing injures, and finally there was climbing the rocky wall that was several aways from the house.

When they got to the face of the wall, Aurora said, "I don't know how high up we can climb, but..."

"Who says we need to climb?" Silver asked with a grin on his face. Aurora and Waya looked at him with confused raised eyebrows as Silver opened his hands to his friends and they felt themselves being lifted from the ground and their bodies being covered in a bluish green light along with Silver's.

"That way, we can get up and down faster," Silver told them.

"Great idea, Silver," Aurora commented, Waya nodding in agreement.

Silver nodded a thank-you and flew them all telekinetically up the wall all the way to the top of the peak. When they landed safely, they turned around to see the wonderful view of Forgotten Peak. The forest covering most of the mountain except for the house and the large lake, and at the bottom they could see the green grass stretching on for miles and the endless blue sky making it the finishing touch.

"Wow, this is like something out of a painting," Aurora complimented.

"You mean, you've never been up here before?" Silver asked.

"No, we could never climb this high," she replied.

"Well, then, we all discovered something new today," Silver claimed, his hand on his hips, enjoying the landscape below. "This is really a spectacular place." The white hedgehog closed his eyes and spread his arms, as if he was embracing the warm sunlight.

_Looks like we've got another nature lover here._

Aurora smiled, happy that their new friend liked their place. She felt Waya prodding her leg and before she bent down to read his thoughts, he indicated his head to Silver. She knew what he was thinking, all right, "Tell Silver while you have the chance."

Aurora sighed and she nodded, knowing he was right. "Silver."

He put his arms down at the sound of his name and turned to her. "Yes?"

Aurora looked at him for a moment, then looked at the ground her eyes closed and sighed deeply. "Please sit down. I have something I need to tell you."

Silver blinked, and obediently sat down, Aurora and Waya doing the same. Aurora took a moment, her hand touching her face with her elbow resting on her leg, thinking of how to explain this. "The other night, I had another dream about you."

"You did?" he asked amazed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how to explain it to you yesterday," she answered, looking at Waya. "I told Shadow and Waya yesterday afternoon, but I didn't know what to say to you about it because..." She shook a bit at the memory at that nightmare, making Waya put an encouraging paw on her knee, beckoning her to go on.

She took another deep breath and started talking. "I was flying in outer space and then I saw you as a shooting star again, but this time I could see your Mobian figure, but your light was starting to go out and you looked so ill. That's when I thought...you were dying."

Silver's eyes went wide, but he made himself remain silent until she was finished.

"I asked you to tell me what was hurting you, but you were too weak to answer. Then all of the stars went out around us and you and I fell into the darkness...and that was it."

Aurora's head sunk, both boys looking at her. "I...I didn't know what to tell you or even Waya yet yesterday morning, but I had to tell someone, so I decided to tell Shadow as soon as you two got back. He said it'd be best if you stayed here today and let him and the others see what was going to happen. Though, we don't know if they'll find out anything today..."

Her body shook as well as her voice as she went on with her head still down. "I told Waya after my work-out with Shadow since there was no reason to keep him in the dark...and we both agreed to let you in on all this...since you are one of us and..."

Aurora got up and stepped away from the white-furred fellows, her backs turned to them and her arms folded. "Forgive me, boys," she said, her voice low. "I just... I am sorry to be secretive like this, but I was just frightened for you, Silver. I've had dreams like this before and they always come to realize...and I know this one will, too. But the problem is: I don't always get all the answers I need until later...and I wish I had the answers to help you."

She hugged her arms and went on, her voice almost cracking. "There's something coming after you...and I don't know what it is. And I'm scared stiff. That's why I was working out so hard this morning because I wanted to be strong...but..."

Waya came up to her and stood next to her, leaning against her leg. Aurora didn't look down at him, but she put a hand on his head and rubbed his face, and he put a paw on her hand, wishing he had the fingers to grip it, but he was just glad that he could be here to comfort her at all.

Silver just sat there for a moment and he noticed a tear coming down her cheek and fell down on the ground. He stood up and walked up next to her, amazed that there were a few more silent tears escaping her greenish-blue eyes and running off her freckled face.

Now he understood why she was acting so weirdly yesterday. She had a dream that was warning her of his life and she wanted to desperately to do something to protect him...just like how he felt when he was worried for her safety of using the Chaos Emeralds to restore his world.

He gently took her hand which made her gasp in surprise and turn to him. He smiled and softly said to her, "I understand, Aurora. When you were told about something but didn't get everything you wanted to know, it scared you...that you won't be able to stop bad things from happening to others. Believe me, I've been there."

Aurora knew he meant Blaze and he wondered if this is what Shadow would've told her about Maria and Molly... Shadow and Silver did have a few things in common. They both take threats seriously and they're both loyal to people and they'd usually sound determine to protect those they cared about...not to mention, they were both warriors who'd suffered through very hard times...

Waya seemed just the same way as them, brave, loyal, and always taking risks for the sake of others.

_But they all know about their abilities...and I know very little about mine. I want to use my aura to help Silver and this world's future...but I can't and I feel so useless... Why am I having these dreams of him now if I can't do anything?_

Aurora looked away, tears still flowing from her eyes. Why did she powers that she couldn't even understand? And why did she have to keep it a secret and live all the way in the mountain to hide away from the world?

"Although..." Aurora looked back at the white hedgehog as he said something else, "...I do appreciate your open honesty with me. You see, I was really worried about how quiet you were and I knew something was bugging you. I wanted to ask why, but I didn't want to be a nuisance, so I left you alone..." He held her hand with both of his and added, "But I am glad you came to me about this. It means a lot that you trust me enough to know this."

Aurora grinned, and she couldn't help but feel she would've been quiet herself whenever someone wouldn't discuss their pain with her. She didn't want to be a bother and pry into other people's business and have them be upset with her, but she would always be there for them if they ever needed to speak with her.

She wiped away her tears, and murmured, "I'm sorry you boys have to see me cry... I really hate crying in front of others."

"It's okay, you were just afraid, that's all," Silver reassured.

Waya opened the first-aid kit with his claw and gently pulled a clean paper towel with his teeth and handed it to Aurora to help dry away her tears.

"Thanks, Waya," she said, wiping her face.

"Well...are we in this together this time?" Silver asked.

Both of his friends nodded. "From now on, no more holding back to tell each other our problems," Aurora proclaimed.

Waya beckoned Aurora to kneel down and leaned his head on hers. "_Let's vow to always be there whenever we're in our time of need._"

"He says, 'let's vow to always be there whenever we're in our time of need'," Aurora explained. She stuck out the back of her hand in front of her, Waya putting a paw on her hand, and Silver putting a hand on their hand and paw.

"Let's keep this vow," Silver started.

"And not let fear or danger get in the way," Aurora concluded.

With that, the three friends build a new friendship that stood as tall and mighty as the mountains of Forgotten Peak itself.

* * *

Silver flew the friends down to the foot of the mountain and headed back to the house. Today had been a good day of exploring and sharing words. Aurora made them lunch and after they ate, she felt the sudden urge for some loud music.

"Say, Silver, you never heard any of my songs, have you?" Aurora queried.

"No, I haven't," he replied.

Waya's eyes lit up and tail wagged, liking where this was going.

"Well, would you mind if I played a few songs for you to listen to?" she offered.

"Not at all," Silver answered with a grin, shaking his head.

Aurora felt excited. Besides Sonic and the others from Knothole, Waya was the only one who'd heard her music and she was happy to share her music with Silver. She put the iPod in its dock and played her #1 favorite, _We're In Heaven_ by D.J. Sammy.

Aurora started off dancing with Waya sort of dancing, too, in the best way he could having four legs. Silver was really liking this song. He closed his eyes and imagined the heavenly paradise his world will have soon. The people living in peaceful, safe homes, singing and dancing like his friends.

But then he remembered this darkness that was coming after him in Aurora's dream. What did it mean? Was there an enemy they didn't know about? He was grateful that Aurora told him about it, but now he was feeling concerned about this...

Aurora saw the worried look on his face and she knew he was thinking about his being in danger. She wanted to get his mind off it and took his hand which surprised him. "If you can learn to howl, you can learn to dance, too."

The white hedgehog was shy at first, but with a deep breath of courage, he started dancing with her, getting used to the tempo and feeling kind of happy. He never really danced before, so this was a lot of fun. He twirled her around some and kept up his footing with hers.

Waya was glad to see both of his timid friends dancing and coming out of their shells, but when he saw Silver dancing with Aurora...he did feel somewhat jealous. That he had arms and fingers while he was stuck with paws.

Sometimes, he missed being human, but he dared not to say that to Aurora or she'd feel guilty, even though he asked her to do it when he had Tara held down in the Cave of Life. Still, he would've liked being able to dance with her like Silver was doing now. And being able to talk to everyone with his mouth...

He shook those sad thoughts out of his mind and told himself to just enjoy listening to the music and watch them dance, swinging his head and wagging his tail to the beat.

Aurora played all sorts of songs: _Everytime We Touch_, _Neverending Dream_, _Runaway_, _Love Again_, and _Wouldn't It Be Good?_ by Cascada; _My Best Friend's Brother_ by Victoria Justice; _Kissin' U_ by Miranda Cosgrove; _Walk On The Water_, _All This Time_, _The Lost Get Found_, _Ready Or Not_, _I Stand_, and _Headphones_ by Britt Nicole; another _Walk On Water_ by Milk Inc.; _It's Always a Good Time_ by Owl City & Rae Jepsen; _Someday _and _Hand Up _by Max Schneider; _At The Beginning_ by Donna Lewis and Rirchard Marx; _Journey to the Past _by Aaliyah; _The Circle of Life _by Disney Stars, and _Take Me Home, Country Roads_ by Olivia Newton-John.

Waya asked Aurora to sing along to a few songs, which reminded her of how she upset she was with him for threatening to tickle her the other night just to make her confess she could sing. She knew she had to pay him back for that later. She sang most of the female songs, Waya closing his eyes and smiling, listening to her voice matching to the songstresses and Silver watching in amazement at how she could replicate her vocals to other people's singing.

What mattered most to Aurora was that these songs would bring hope to Silver and to Waya as well. She knew both boys were going through a tough time, what with Silver and his world in trouble and Waya having to be a wolf until his people have learned their lessons so he can change back along with them. She wanted to show them that good things will happen, even when things look their darkest.

_It seems like I should take in this kind of advice, myself. After all, when I was afraid of Eggman going to use my energy and the yellow emerald to hurt people, Sonic and Shadow were there to save me and I was there to save them, and when I feared for Waya's sake when he was captured by the evil Owayans, Shadow came to our aid I changed them into mindless animals so they wouldn't come after Waya or use the red emerald's powers to harm people again._

In other words, Aurora told herself that she wasn't fighting alone no more than Waya and Silver were. They all have people who are there for them, to see to it that they would never suffer for very long.

On _The Circle of Life_ and _Take Me Home_, Silver started singing along, too. His voice wasn't bad, but if he could howl well, he could sing, too. Silver wondered what Waya's singing would've been like if he was human. Come to think of it, he wondered what everything would've been like if he was human and he wondered if he missed being human again.

And he wondered how his friendship was towards Aurora when they first met. Sure, they lied to each other about their backgrounds and who they were, but they both had their good reasons, but he knew their care and bond with each other was real and their bond was strong if Aurora could read his thoughts.

Honestly, they reminded him of himself and Blaze, though they kept no secrets from each other, they still had a good friendship and made a good duo. He missed her terribly, but he knew she'd want him to move on and keep fighting for what's right. And she'd want him to find new friends to make sure he wasn't all alone...and after meeting Aurora and Waya, he sure did.

After music time was over, Aurora took out the iPod and turned it off. "Well, what do you think?" she asked Silver.

"I have to say, they were the best songs I've ever heard," he commented sincerely.

Aurora nodded in satisfaction. "You know, I've always believed that music has this healing effect on our hearts that help us find strength and hope," she confided, "for ourselves, for others, for almost anything. Music also helps me think and find myself whenever I'm confused or upset. It also gives us a little bit of wisdom. You know, teaching us lessons of the values of life. How life is so beautiful, how miracles happen, and how powerful love and friendships are... I'm sorry, this must sound corny to the two of you."

"It doesn't sound corny at all," Silver disagreed. "Well, those lessons are important and the words from those songs are healing and true. It makes a person see there are a lot of good things in the world if you look hard enough."

Waya walked up to Aurora to lean his head on hers.

"What'd he say?" Silver asked.

Aurora smiled at her wolf friend and answered, "He said you're right, there are so many wonderful, amazing things in life if you dare to search for it. He lost his parents to a monster and his friends to their hatred. He thought all there was going to be in his life was loss and suffering...until he came here to unexpectingly find a friend who'd willingly risk her life for his and believe in him completely."

She ruffled his head, making him smile. "Yes, songs can help you see there are people who love you and care for you enough to be there no matter what."

Aurora remembered how very lonely she was back on Earth. She was always a loner and never wanted to bother anyone and thought it was for the best, but now she was wishing she could've done better to be more open with them instead of avoiding them all the time, and her family, too.

_All these twenty years, I could've been very happy with company, but now I see I've wasted my life being alone...but that doesn't mean it's too late. I can still change if I want to. I've already changed being here with my Mobian friends and that was because they would come to me... So, when I go home, it's time I do the same thing._

* * *

(I'm sorry if this is boring, but I'm just having a bit of a hard time coming up with good ideas. Like I said, I am open to suggestions if y'all got any. And the songs I've listed do not belong to me, they belong to the artists who made them, just so you know. Until the next chapter, that I hope will be more interesting for you guys, God bless.)


	8. 2nd Wordless Good-bye

**Chapter 8: Second Wordless Good-bye**

Sonic and Tails already gave Shadow the security satellites and installed one on Angel Island near Knuckles's hut.

"This satellite won't bother you at all, but this is so you'll be able to see it," Tails told the red echidna as he set up the thing, "That way, if it's broken, you'll let us know."

"We know you're not Mr. Tech, but..." Sonic started to apologize.

"It's okay," he reassured with wave of his hand, "It beats having any robotic spies of Eggman's following you guys and seeing where I keep the Chaos Emeralds."

"Truest fact right there," Sonic agreed. They didn't want Eggman to find Aurora, Silver, or the Chaos Emeralds.

"And you think Egghead's the one looking for the new kid?" Knuckles queried, meaning Silver.

"Well, we wouldn't be surprised if it is him," Tails replied, almost done with his work, "but better safe than sorry."

"What I'm wondering is if Aurora'll tell Silver about this and what he'll do about it," Sonic thought aloud.

"I think she will," Knuckles pronounced, his arms folded, looking up at the sky. "The last time she wasn't open with Waya, she ended up regretting until she was able to help him. So I don't think she'll make the same mistake twice and say nothing to Silver."

"Okay, it's all finished," Tails declared, standing up to look at the small satellite.

Knuckles looked at it with a raised eyebrow and confessed, "It does stick out like a sore thumb on Angel Island."

"This is only temporary," Tails assured. "Until we find out whether or not it's Eggman after Silver."

"Hmm..." Sonic hummed, looking at the sky that was starting to get dark. "It's nearly sunset," he observed. "Which means Shadow oughta be payin' Aurora and the guys a visit. Wonder what Shadow will say to Silver when he expects to search with us again."

* * *

Shadow arrived at the house and went straight to training Aurora first before telling Silver whether or not he'll go with him tomorrow.

Waya was on the porch watching them in admiration as Aurora dodged his blows and made a kick that he blocked with his arm, then hopped backwards to avoid his own kick.

"I see you didn't have any hard and long work-outs today," Shadow observed with a grin, pleased that she wasn't looking as beat as yesterday.

She shrugged with a smile. "Well, you did give me an order not to, sir."

The dark hedgehog did like her respectful and obedient attitude and wondered what it would've been like having her as a G.U.N. soldier. With her, she'd be the easiest military officer to talk to since he didn't like talking to the others besides Rouge and Omega.

After a few more blows and dodges, Shadow ended the training session. Aurora panted, though not as hard as yesterday, and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. Shadow let her have a few seconds to catch her breath and asked, "Well, how did today go?"

"Well, after we took a pleasant stroll through the woods, Silver used his powers to fly us to the mountain right there," she explained, pointing to the rocky tower several feet from behind the house, "And when we were up there enjoying the view...I told him about my dream the other night."

"And how did he respond?" he queried.

"He was...concerned, yes," she admitted, looking away, "but he was happy I was honest with him about it. Now we all wish we knew what my dreams means this time. Did you guys find out anything?"

"No," he answered shaking his head sadly, "We did put up some of Tails's security satellites on G.U.N. and Angel Island, though. He even installed one on the X-Tornado. That way, if Eggman sends any of his robotic spies, Tails's machines will mess up their signal at a five mile radius."

"That's good. Leave it to good ol' Tails," she remarked, happily. Tails was always a genius at these things and his gadgets were always helpful. He was also the one who gave her her wrist communicator which had been useful into finding her signal in Sunset Canyon where Eggman took her prisoner. "Hang on, do you guys really think it's Eggman?"

"Well, Omega suggested it might be him, and Sonic and Tails definitely think it's a possibility."

Aurora thought about what that insane scientist almost did to her and her blue and black hedgehog friends and she shivered at the thought of what he would do to Silver. Shadow noticed this and put a hand on her arm in reassurance.

"He can't find you or him here," he promised.

"I know he can't find either of us here as long as we're here," she said, touching his hand, "but what if Silver says...he wants to go help tomorrow?"

"Did he say that after you told him?"

Aurora nodded reluctantly, looking at Waya whose ears were flattened, understanding how she felt. Silver, even though he was a little worried of the mysterious danger he was going to be in, he still wanted to help find the last Chaos Emeralds, just as she assumed he would. "He says he doesn't think it'll do everyone any good if he remains up here."

"It would do _him _some good, though," he replied firmly. He walked straight towards the door of the house and went inside to see where Silver was. The young Mobian was in the kitchen, making pasta. He was knew at it, but Aurora was showing him how and spaghetti was an easy thing to make for beginners.

"Finished already?" Silver asked when he heard everyone come in. "Dinner's gonna be ready in ten," he said, closing the hot pot of pasta. "It just needs to cool off."

However, Shadow wasn't worrying about that. He looked at him with a stern look, like a father ticked off at his son for getting a speeding ticket. "What?" Silver asked, wondering why the dark hedgehog looked so miffed.

"I kinda told him about what we discussed and your option," Aurora explained hesitantly.

"Oh, I see," Silver understood, looking back at Shadow.

"You know you're in danger and you still think it's a good idea for you to leave?" Shadow questioned, his arms folded.

"Is it a good idea for you to have less people helping you find the Chaos Emeralds?" Silver asked back.

"Listen, we've found emeralds without your help before and we can do it again," Shadow told him directly.

"You can't make me stay here," Silver argued.

"I can give a you reason to want to stay here," Shadow vowed darkly.

Aurora didn't like where this was going and she was afraid they were going to have a fight outside. "Silver, wait," she pleaded, standing between the two bickering hedgehogs. "Do you really want to risk going out there when you know full well that whatever's out there will get you if you leave Forgotten Peak?"

"That's another reason why I should go," Silver replied. "We all want to know who's coming to get me. Why don't we help him reveal himself?"

"Are you implying you use yourself as bait?" Shadow asked in disbelief.

"Silver, I really don't think that's a good idea. Whatever's after you will try to destroy you," Aurora told him.

"Not unless we set up a trap," Silver put in. "There's no reason we can't capture whomever is looking for me."

"But there is a reason why we can't use you as a target for him," Shadow added. "How do you know that your plan to capture him will work? We don't even know what we're dealing with right now."

Silver was silent for a moment and looked away. His fists clenched for a moment and this was making Aurora concerned. "Silver..." Aurora began to say, but he interrupted her.

"I don't we don't know what we're dealing with..." Silver admitted, then looked straight at Shadow, "but we won't know unless we try to bring him out and I'm gonna be the one who'll bring him out. And besides...I'd rather risk being hunted down out there than here. If whoever comes here, what'll happen to Aurora and Waya? No, I won't put them in danger. I made up my mind, I'm going with you to stay at G.U.N."

Aurora and Waya stared at him in shock. He was going to stay at G.U.N. H.Q.? They couldn't believe this.

"Silver, how can you make a decision like this?" Aurora asked in dismay. "You agreed to stay here with us."

"That was before you dreamt of something that wants to get me," Silver countered. "And if it comes here, who knows what might happen to you guys, too?"

"Shadow, you don't agree with this, do you?" Aurora asked.

_This can't be happening. There's no way._

Shadow was silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "Very well, then, but let's wait tomorrow morning. I need to talk to G.U.N. first tonight before we do anything."

Aurora just stared, shaking her head, refusing to believe all of this. Finally, she had enough and headed for the back door.

"Aurora." Silver called, but she opened the door and went outside. "Aurora, wait."

She walked into the middle of the backyard, trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture. All of this was happening too fast. Silver wants to leave to stay at G.U.N. _and _use himself as bait for whomever this unknown enemy is?

She rubbed her head, taking deep breaths, trying to ease herself.

"Aurora." She didn't turn to the young hedgehog. She kept her back turned to him, keeping her eyes on the grass in front of her while rubbing the temples of her head. "Aurora, please, I know this is unexpected, but..."

"Unexpected?" she echoed. "You didn't even tell us you were going to do this. You didn't let us in on it until now. What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to help," he insisted.

"By what? Putting yourself in the danger I warned you about? What if it's something you can't handle?"

"If it is something I can't handle, then I don't want it to find me here where you and Waya are. That's the main reason why I want to go. I don't want to put either of you in danger of facing whatever wants to destroy me."

Aurora just kept her eyes in front of her and said quietly, "And I thought you-no, we all promised that we'd be there for each other."

"Aurora, I'm not trying to break my promise by leaving," he reasoned, walking next to her. "I'd just rather searched for out there than here. And if we want to find out what darkness that scared you in your dream of me, we should find out somehow."

_He doesn't understand. He does not understand._

She turned her head to the left, not to look at him. He reached for her hand, but she snatched away. He looked at her in surprise to see her hand squeeze itself into a tight fist. "If you want to get yourself in trouble, don't say I didn't warn you," she snapped. She headed back to the house, leaving Silver alone in complete dismay.

Aurora ran past Shadow through the kitchen and headed straight upstairs with Waya following close behind her. The dark hedgehog knew she was very upset. Silver came in and looked around to see where Aurora was. "She's upstairs with Waya," Shadow told him. Before Silver could take another step, Shadow raised his hand to stop him. "I wouldn't go up there right now. She's not in a good mood."

Silver stood where he was, looking at the staircase, then looked at the floor, feeling terrible with himself. "I just don't want this evil being, whatever it is, to hurt Aurora and Waya if it comes here."

"I understand," he consoled quietly. "But you should've at least told them before you decided this sort of thing. After all, even though she was unsure of how to tell you of her dream regarding your safety, she told you because it she knew it would've been fair."

Silver blinked at the dark hedgehog, then turned his gaze at the staircase. He knew everything was going to be hard...at least until they find the guy that's threatening his life... How were they going to get through the night like this...?

Shadow could tell he was in quite in a bind right now and he could imagine things weren't going to be easy when Silver says "good-bye for now" to Aurora and Waya.

"Shadow, I know you said we should wait until tomorrow, but..." Silver began to say, but trailed off with hesitation.

"You want to leave now?" Shadow guessed. Silver nodded, and so did he. "All right, then, let's go. Do you need anything?"

"Um, yes, let me just go upstairs and get something."

Shadow let the young Mobian go, wondering if he'd try to talk to Aurora, but he said nothing and waited in the living room for him by the door. "Well," he muttered to himself, looking at the window, "this is going smoothly...and I made it worse by agreeing to take him."

However, he did understand Silver's intentions. What if this threat found him here in Forgotten Peak? What if it was Eggman and if he found Aurora here, he'd use her aura again and that was something he did not want to re-live all over again.

* * *

Aurora threw her bedroom door open and opened the window and climbed up the roof. She needed some air and to her, being on the roof with the sky above her, feeling the calm wind against her body, was the perfect place for it.

She sat on her usual spot in the middle of the rooftop, hugged her knees, and buried her face in them. She wasn't happy at all. Silver didn't even confide in her and Waya about his decision and more than anything, he was practically putting himself into the lion's mouth, whoever the mysterious yet dangerous lion was.

Waya, who had followed her to her bedroom, looked out through her window and saw her with her knees close to her chest and her face hidden. He climbed up the roof and sat next to her. He put a paw on her arm and her muffled voice told him, "I'm not crying, Waya. I'm just..."

The white wolf put his head on hers and said, "_I know you're upset... It really is bad idea to just up and leave and then try to lure the enemy using yourself as bait._"

"Yes, it is," she replied a little louder than a second ago, her face still in her knees. "And what really hurts is that he didn't tell us before he was going to use himself as bait in the first place. He knows of the danger lurking out there and he's asking it to come straight for him."

Waya gently stroked his soft paw on her folded arm, saying calmly, "_I agree it is a death wish, but..._"

"Not only that, he's breaking his promise," she interrupted, bringing her face up. "We promised we'd tell each other our problems. We agreed we'd be in this together and he's making sure we're not in this. I understand he doesn't want us hurt, but Waya, you and Silver don't understand this: I was the one having that awful dream. I was the one who witnessed Silver's life being taken away. I was the one holding on to him, begging him to tell me what was wrong and when we were falling into the black abyss of starless space. You guys didn't feel that fear like I did. I had that vision and he asked me to help him, and now he's telling me-us-that we shouldn't?"

She put her hands on her hair and shook her head, knowing she did something wrong herself. "And another thing that hurts is I'm letting him go and do this. I told him if he wants to get in trouble, he better not say I didn't warn him."

_I'm letting him go...just like when I let Waya go...except I'm being honest with Silver about myself, but because I'm upset, I'm letting him leave...knowing he's gonna be in dire trouble._

Little did either of his friends know, Silver quietly laid a note on Aurora's pillow, whispering, "I'm sorry," and then tiptoed back downstairs to find Shadow waiting for him.

"Ready?" the black-and-red hedgehog asked him.

"Mm-hmm," the white hedgehog nodded half-heartedly.

"Then let's go," he pronounced, opening the door.

On the roof, Aurora stood up, knowing she had to do something. "I have to talk to Silver." But too late because as she was climbing to her window, she saw a black blur zooming through the woods and she knew it was Shadow, but to her surprise, she also saw Silver flying after him. "Oh, no, he can't be leaving already," she whispered.

She carefully climbed back into her bedroom and went downstairs with Waya following her, but he stopped when he sniffed Silver's scent in the room and noticed something on Aurora's bed.

Aurora passed through the living room and opened the front door, looking in the direction the hedgehogs had went to. She shook her head in denial, not believing Silver, another friend, had left without saying good-bye...

She fell onto her knees and leaned against the grass on her hands. "This is my fault... I was too hard on him and I made him leave..."

Waya came downstairs and saw Aurora on the ground in the front yard and came next to her, showing her the note in his mouth.

"Hmm?" She took the note and read aloud. "'Aurora, Waya, I'm very sorry that I left like this, but because of what I'm deciding, it's making the both... Well, it's making you mad'."

Aurora knew when he wrote "the both," he really meant her. "'I know this wasn't what we agreed when we made our promise and I know you guys want to help me, but if something is after me, then I think I should face it so we can beat it and let it come to pass. I understand you two have gone through experiences yourselves, but so have I, and I know you fear for me just as I fear for you, but I implore you, trust me. And I promise you, I will come back to you. Until then, please don't forget me and take care. Sincerely, Silver. P.S., I hope you guys enjoy the pasta.'"

Aurora crumbled the note in her note and held it close to her. "Waya, what have I done?" she murmured, "I was rough with him and now he's gone..."

She started crying again, more than she did this morning when she was showing how scared she was for Silver after telling him about her terrifying vision. She felt like she once again hurt a friend and drove him away.

"I should've never said that to him," she sobbed, her hands on her face. Waya put a head on her shoulder and she held him, crying in the fur on his shoulder, his paw on her back. "I'm so horrible," she cried.

Waya moved his head to touch hers and gently said, "_Hey, shh, no, don't say that. You were just mad because you're scared for him and you did have that vision of him. And he won't be alone, Aurora, he's got Sonic and Shadow and the others. They'll help him. They'll make sure nothing will happen to him. You'll see, they'll defeat whatever darkness is coming and Silver will be back soon._"

But Aurora still cried. She wanted Silver to come back now and she wanted to apologize to him for treating him like that. More than anything, she wanted to be there for him when this dangerous thing comes for Silver...

_What is after him? Who'd hurt him? Is it really Eggman? What could he do to make his telekinesis useful?_

The thought of Silver either dying in her arms like last night or being trapped in something like a tube in Eggman's lab like she was, helpless and alone, made her cry even harder, feeling more guilty than ever with Waya keeping her close to him.

* * *

Underground in that large cave that evening, the man with the bushy moustache was in an empty metal room, looking at the only thing that was in here he would need: a silver metal chair with straps on the armchairs and legs and the little tiny device above in the ceiling he was hiding until he was ready for it.

"Now that I have everything all finished here," he announced, rubbing his hands together, smiling evilly and excitedly, "we just need our white Mobian guest to give him his warm welcoming present to get the fun started."

* * *

(O.M.G.! This guy's got something big! Will Sonic and the gang protect him or will Aurora and Waya be the ones to save their friend? And how will they make up with Silver? Tune in next time on the next chapter. God bless until then, my friends. Oh, and another thing, I know some of you are wondering, "Why aren't you mentioning more of Sonic and the gang? We want Sonic and the others, darn it!" Well, tell you what, I'm gonna see if I can add some more Sonic scenes as well as the others. I hope that'll satisfy ya. Like I said, God bless.)


	9. Longing

**Chapter 9: Longing**

Shadow and Silver headed for G.U.N. H.Q., which was as gloomy and unfriendly as Aurora described to Silver, the soldiers making him feel unwelcomed and uneasy.

Silver waited for Shadow in the waiting lounge while the dark hedgehog went to ask the commander if he could stay temporarily.

Meanwhile, the white hedgehog was wondering how Aurora and Waya were doing.

_I wonder if they got my note that I left on her pillow..._

Now that he thought about it, he couldn't blame Aurora for being mad. After all, they did just make a promise this morning about being open and helping one another, but he broke that promise by not consulting with Aurora and Waya about his decision to help Sonic and the others find Eggman or some other bad guy using himself as bait.

_To make a promise and then break it in one day is a careless and thoughtless thing to do..._

Silver leaned forward, his hands hanging from the edge of his knees and his head pointing to the floor. All he wanted was to keep them safe by staying away from them because he was afraid if this mysterious villain found him at Forgotten Peak, Aurora and Waya would've gotten hurt. And if it was Eggman, he'd try to take Aurora and hurt her again by taking away her aura.

The young Mobian met Eggman before when he came to the past, and he nearly got an innocent girl, Princess Elise, killed had he not helped Sonic go back in time to save her.

_And I don't want the same thing happening to Aurora. Besides, if we capture Eggman, then we can lock him up and then she can come out of hiding. She can walk out safely again._

It seemed like a win-win situation to Silver: Eggman goes to prison, he stops looking for the emeralds and Aurora. What was the flaw in that plan?

Just then, Shadow came up to him with a seriously unsatisfied look on his face.

"What did the commander say?" Silver asked carefully, bracing himself for the worst.

"He said no," he answered directly, looking very upset. "He feels that you'd get G.U.N. H.Q. in trouble with Eggman just like Aurora did not too long ago."

"He said that?" Silver jumped out of his seat in disbelief. "But it wasn't Aurora's fault. It's not like she asked Eggman to find her here."

"I know, and it was a wonder I didn't turn his office upside-down when he said that," he agreed, almost through gritted teeth, "But if Eggman can find Aurora from other sources besides spy-bots, he may find sources that'll help him find you here, too. So G.U.N.'s not a good hideout."

Silver sulked and sighed, his head turned away.

_Well, this is just great_, he muttered sarcastically in his head. _Now what? I can't go back to Forgotten Peak, I can't stay here._

"However, we still have other options," Shadow assured quietly. "Angel Island."

* * *

The minute Shadow suggested Angel Island for Silver to hide at, Rouge and Omega met them and Shadow explained to them the little...incident at Aurora's house and Omega felt sad for them. Silver, Aurora, and Waya reminded the robot of him and his teammates Shadow and Rouge and wished the three didn't break up so soon.

Rouge was surprised to hear that Aurora sounded so ticked off. To her, even though she hadn't interacted with the red-haired girl very much, she seemed like the calm, cool, collected type, sort of like Sonic in a way. She didn't get angry with Charmy when he accidentally flew into her and even though she blamed Sonic for telling the others she was ticklish, she didn't look all that mad, either.

Shadow took Silver to meet up with Sonic and Tails in Knothole with Rouge following, and they explained to them the problem and Silver's rather unexpected idea to bring out the force after his life. Tails thought Silver should really rethink his plan considering what nearly happened to Aurora when she was captured and to think of what the mad doctor would do to him if his idea didn't go well.

"I know what almost happened to Aurora," Silver said, "That's why I want to help catch him. So he can't ever get his hands on her again."

"We understand your reasons, Silver," Tails told him, "and we agree, but you don't know whom we're dealing with."

_He's wrong, I do know whom we're dealing with, but I can't tell any of you that._

"Maybe not personally," he lied, "but I do know about his actions from you guys and I still think it would put, not only Aurora, but everyone else who's had such a hard time with him."

"One little problem with that, Silver: Eggman isn't an easy guy to catch," Sonic explained, "He may be clownish, but he's a slippery one. He always gets away after we beat him."

"Would it hurt to try?" Silver implored.

"If things don't go well, it will," Shadow nodded solemnly.

"Plus, even if we do capture him, he'll think of ways to get away later," Rouge put in. "He's not a scientist for nothin', you know."

"Surely G.U.N. can make sure he doesn't get out," Silver insisted.

"G.U.N.'s never even had Eggman prisoner before," Shadow replied.

"Besides, we're not even completely sure if it is Dr. E after ya," Sonic pointed out. "I mean, it is a likely possibility."

"Yeah, he's usually the first one to stir up trouble," Tails agreed, "but it could be anyone."

"Well, you may be right," Silver admitted, "but I still think we should try to lure them out. If they want me, why not give them what they want? And when they make a jump for me, we make a jump for them."

"I don't know," Tails doubted, shaking his head.

"I think it's all a little off the rational scale," Rouge agreed, "especially if we're doing this for someone we don't know."

"Although, we do want to know who this guy is, whoever it is," Sonic thought aloud. "What do you think, Shadow?"

Shadow thought with his eyes closed. Silver hoped he'd agree. After all, he did agree to take him to stay someplace else. Obviously, Shadow wanted nothing more than to keep Aurora out of harm's way if it was Eggman after him. Finally, the black hedgehog opened his eyes and announced, "If we're ever going to find and stop this guy...then we need him to come to us..." Shadow sighed, not exactly happy with what he was going to say next. "And since we don't have any other options that can help..."

"Then, that settles it," Sonic stated, "We go with your plan, Silver."

Silver nodded, happy that Sonic and Shadow agree with him on this.

"Right now, we have the matter of Silver's living arrangements," Shadow said.

* * *

Tails flew in the X-Tornado with Shadow riding in the back seat and Sonic riding outside and Silver and Rouge flying on their own. They were headed towards Angel Island to see Knuckles who was expecting them. Tails gave him a wrist communicator to call him in case they needed him for emergencies or if there was anything interesting going on that he needed to know.

They explained Silver's idea and they asked if he could stay with him on his island since G.U.N. wouldn't take him in and the possibility of Eggman or whoever wanted to destroy Silver finding him at Forgotten Peak along with Aurora and Waya. Knuckles understood and agreed.

As they flew in the night sky, Silver felt nervous staying with the red echidna. He hadn't known Knuckles all that well, and he was a bit uneasy.

"Something on your mind, handsome?" Rouge asked flying next to him, noticing his unsure look.

"I'm just a little nervous about staying with Knuckles," he confessed shyly. "I don't wan to make a bad impression."

"You know, that's exactly how Aurora felt when we first brought her to Angel Island," Sonic remarked.

"Really?" Silver asked. "But she said they never had problems with each other and became good friends afterwards."

"Yeah, which really surprised us," Sonic said.

"You see, Silver, it's kinda hard getting close to Knuckles. He's usually a loner and rarely has guests," Tails explained.

"Yeah, a grumpy guy like him is not very good with company," Rouge shrugged in agreement.

"But when Aurora volunteered to help out on his island and was nice and respectful to him, he grew to like having her around," Sonic concluded.

"Honestly, if she can get close to Knuckles _and _Shadow, then she can get close to anybody," Rouge commented. She waited for a response from the dark hedgehog, but he just sat there, ignoring her unlike Knuckles who would usually show his annoyance to her.

"Yeah, it is true, she's easy to be friends with," Tails agreed.

Silver looked away, wondering if she would still want to be friends with him after this...

"There it is!" Sonic announced, pointing to the huge island floating in the night sky.

"Wow..." Silver gasped.

"Wait 'til you get a better look," Tails told him as they approached Knuckles's home.

The red echidna saw them coming in and he could make out Silver's bluish green light that was next to the X-Tornado. When the jet landed, Silver gently came down with Rouge next to him.

"Oh, great, no one told me she'd be coming, too," Knuckles muttered when he saw Rouge. He and the bat would usually bicker whenever they saw each other. Aurora could tell that they cared about each other a lot and had something going on. Of course she knew better than to say that so she kept it to herself.

"Hi, Knuckles," Rouge greeted cheerfully, hoping to see a smile.

Knuckles just turned his head away slightly and sighed, "Hello, Rouge."

"Hey, Knuckles," Silver greeted with a wave of his hand.

"Hey, kid," Knuckles waved back, giving a friendlier expression. "Welcome to Angel Island."

"Thanks," Silver nodded. Sonic, Tails, and Shadow climbed out of the X-Tornado came to greet Knuckles.

"We really appreciate you looking after Silver under these...circumstances," Sonic said, scratching his head.

"It's no problem," Knuckles reassured, "So long as the kid behaves himself."

"Don't worry, I won't give you any trouble," Silver vowed.

"Huh, sounds just like my last guest," Knuckles remarked mostly to himself, grinning at the fun times he had with Aurora on the island.

"This is only temporary until we find the person after him," Shadow told the echidna. "We don't know how long, but..."

"But if they want Silver so badly, then we should see them soon," Sonic finished.

"Hope so, and more importantly, we'll stop them," Knuckles replied. He himself wasn't crazy about Silver's risky idea, but there was no other way to find the mysterious enemy unless they bring the enemy to them. "Well, Silver, since it's late, why don't we head to my hut?" Knuckles suggested, indicating his thumb to the small house east of the island.

"Yes, sir," Silver nodded obediently.

This made Knuckles chuckle and pat the young hedgehog's back, "There's no need to act like a soldier, kid."

"All right," Silver replied, feeling a little awkward.

Before Knuckles got any closer to the hut, a finger tabbed on his shoulder and he turned to see Rouge. "Excuse me, mind if I talk to ya alone?" she asked.

Knuckles groaned. "About what?" he asked reluctantly.

"About something. Please, Knuckles," she pleaded. This wasn't the usual tone Knuckles would hear from her and Knuckles blinked at her in confusion.

"All right, Rouge," he sighed. Turning to Silver, he said, "You go ahead and make yourself comfortable on the couch in the living room. I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," Silver replied, heading for the hut.

As the white hedgehog headed inside the hut, Knuckles turned to Rouge. "Look, if you're wondering where the Chaos Emeralds are, forget it," he told her straight forwardly, giving her a stern look. She was well-known for her love for jewels and would usually go through anything to get what she wanted.

"Relax, Knuckie, I'm not here to talk about gems," she replied...kind of sincerely which made Knuckles blink in surprise. "I just want to talk about Silver and...Aurora. You know they had an argument over at Forgotten Peak."

"I know, I didn't think Aurora would get mad at anyone," Knuckles agreed, "Which I kinda envy her for."

"Well, there's got to be one mellow red-head," Rouge shrugged playfully, getting a slightly annoyed raised eyebrow from Knuckles. "But my point is: I'm a bit worried about her and Waya's friendship with Silver. I don't know what Waya's thinking, but I do know Aurora is very upset. And I'd hate to see those three break up."

"Yeah, I mean, that kid's got no one else," Knuckles said, looking at the hut where Silver is at, "And those two are the first people he befriended here."

"Right, so I was hoping that maybe... Well, I know you're not Mr. Counselor, but do you think you could get Silver to think about talking to Aurora and Waya, so they can fix things?"

"Well, I'll see what I can do. I don't know him all that much, but I'll try."

"Thanks," she nodded gratefully.

"Just one question though," Knuckles said, his arms folded, giving her a curious look, "Why is their friendship so important to you?"

"Well, don't you care about their friendship, too?" she questioned.

"Of course I do, but why is it that you're asking me to help?"

"To put it simply, those three remind me of Shadow, Omega, and me," she confessed, turning around. "We're a team and we're kind of compatible with each other than with anyone else. And those three seem like a team of trio, too, so..."

Knuckles grinned, kind of impressed with how thoughtful she was being about someone else's friendship. There were times he knew she cared a bit, if only she wouldn't be obsessed with jewelry so much.

"Well, don't worry, I'll talk to him," he reassured, patting her shoulder.

Rouge grinned. "Thanks, cutie." To Knuckles's shock, she kissed him on the cheek, making his face as red as his fur. "What's wrong?" she teased. "Feeling a little flushed or blushed?"

Knuckles just stood still, not responding. She wondered if he was going to yell or look disgusted, but since he was so silent an still as stone, she raised a satisfied eyebrow and patted his face. "See ya, Knuckles."

Rouge walked back to the X-Tornado, leaving Knuckles dumb-founded.

"What'd you have to talk to Knuckles for?" Sonic asked her curiously.

"I just asked if he could speak to Silver about talking to Aurora and Waya about his sudden decision with his plan," she answered.

"You did that?" Shadow asked, looking surprised. "I thought maybe you were going to ask where the Chaos Emeralds were."

"Oh, now why does everyone think I would ask that?" Rouge asked, playing dumb.

"Because we all know how you are when jewels are concerned," Shadow answered bluntly.

"Well, what I'm concerned about is Silver's friendship with Waya and Aurora," Rouge said, ignoring Shadow's comment. "Even if his plan works and we catch this guy who's looking for him, he still has to face those two later."

"Yeah, that's true," Sonic agreed, looking at the ground. "I didn't think Aurora would get in a fight with anyone like that."

Shadow nodded, looking at the sky, "And since I brought Silver without saying good-bye first, I think things are worse for those two right now." He remembered when she checked up Waya after he healed and told him he was free to go and hid in her room to let him pack his things and leave without saying another word. When she called Shadow to tell him he was gone, he came to keep her company since she was broken-hearted and guilty of having to lie to Waya about who she was and making it look like she was forcing him to go.

Sonic also remembered when Shadow asked him to cheer Aurora up at that time, and he had a feeling Aurora and Waya would need cheering up now. Then, with a grin on his face, he had an idea. "You know, I think someone should talk to those guys, too," Sonic proclaimed, "And something to get their worries off of their minds."

"Such as...?" Shadow queried with a raised eyebrow.

"Why don't Tails," he explained, putting an arm around the genius fox, "Amy, Cream, Cheese, and I come see them at Forgotten Peak tomorrow? That way, Tails and I can talk to Aurora and Waya and we all can make them feel better."

"Pardon me, Big Blue, but if we're going to go through with Silver's plan, won't we need your help?" Rouge asked.

"We could wait the day after tomorrow," Tails offered. "And if we talk to Waya and Aurora, Knuckles can talk to Silver during that time."

"Well, we do need to capture Silver's hunter, but it would be good for him to make up with Aurora and Waya," Rouge confessed thoughtfully. "What do you think, Shadow?"

Shadow closed his eyes and thought deeply. He wanted to catch this unknown, may it be Eggman or otherwise, but he himself felt guilty for agreeing with Silver's plan and offering to escort him someplace else to spend the next few days to keep the enemy away from Aurora's location.

He hated seeing her get hurt, but he knew she was hurt right now, even though she still has Waya to keep her company. Although, he knew she'd still feel guilty for letting another friend go without saying good-bye. Making up his mind, he said, "Okay, we'll wait another day to put Silver's plan into action. Because right now, those three need someone to talk to get their problems off of their chests."

"All right," Sonic cheered to Tails. "Looks like we're getting a play date tomorrow."

"Amy, Cream, and Cheese will be looking forward to that," Tails nodded in agreement. "We've all been missing Aurora in Knothole lately."

"Mm-hmm, and they can show us a bit of the mountain. Aurora's taken to a few good spots over there once," Sonic explained, then shuddered when he said, "and a few spots with water."

"Maybe we can look at them from a distance," Tails grinned, knowing his best friend Sonic never liked water since he couldn't swim.

"Well, then, looks like we're all gettin' a bit of a day off tomorrow," Rouge assumed.

"Not all of us," Shadow corrected. "While everyone tends to Aurora, Waya, and Silver, you and I are gonna go emerald hunting with Omega. If we're lucky, we may find another Chaos Emerald tomorrow, so there's no point wasting a possible opportunity."

"Hey, how can I object to a jewel searching party?" Rouge asked.

"Then it's settled." Shadow declared. He just hoped things would go well for, not only with his friends' relationship, but also with Silver's plan to stop the mysterious darkness looming over the white hedgehog.

* * *

That night, Silver was sleeping in Knuckles's living room on the couch, tossing and turning, not being able to sleep peacefully. He sighed in defeat and got up, stepping out of the hut. He sat down on the porch, his elbows on his knees and his cheeks resting in his hands.

He couldn't stop thinking about that argument with Aurora, but what really bothered him was that he left too soon without saying good-bye to her and Waya...

He sighed, and leaned backwards, his hands behind him. "Is this supposed to be helping her?" he murmured to himself, "To break a recently made promise and leave so suddenly without a by-your-leave?"

He looked up at the stars and wondered if Aurora and Waya were howling at the moon. He grinned when he remembered the other night, he joined them in their howling. To Silver, he felt like he could hear their voices right now.

_Aurora once said that she and Waya could hear each other from far away distances when they went their separate ways because they have a bond... I wonder if I have a bond with them that could help me hear them... I just hope I'll have a bond with them at all..._

He knew he shouldn't leave the hut without permission, but he wanted to do this badly, so he quietly left a note on a table near the couch and tiptoed out of the house. He then used his telekinesis to help him fly towards the island's mountain, going above the thick jungle trees and the large waterfall. He finally reached the highest cliff of the mountain and looked over the whole island.

"Whoa, look at this place!" he gasped in surprise. He thought the island looked marvelous when he was in the sky, but on this mountain, it had a new better side. He looked at the stars that almost seemed like the island was in outer space since it was so high up from the world below. "Aurora was right, this island is beautiful."

Of course, he still liked Forgotten Peak... No, he loved it. He may have spent a short time, but that place was like home away from home to him...

_And with them, it was definitely like home._

He blinked in sadness for a moment, then without a second thought, he howled at the moon, his fur gleaming slightly in the dim moonlit sky.

Back at the hut, Knuckles could hear a howling sound and bolted right up. "Huh? What?" he mumbled, rubbing his head. He walked out of his room and to his shock, Silver was gone. "Where'd he go?" he asked, looking left and right, then spotted a note on the table by the couch. "Huh?" He picked up the note and read aloud, "Knuckles, in case you wake up and don't see me, I'm at the mountain. I know I shouldn't be out without telling you directly, but I just needed to do something important... Let's just say there are two mountain people I miss."

He grinned, knowing whom he was referring to. He looked outside and saw the boy from a far away distance from his hut the white hedgehog howling at the moon. Although he was still grinning, he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well, I'll let it go this time, but next time he better do it before bedtime."

Silver kept howling, hoping that maybe, just maybe Aurora and Waya could hear him and that he could hear them. After a few attempts, he could hear nothing but the waterfall thundering below. He sulked and looked past the island landscapes and into the direction his friends were.

_If only I'd been open with them. If only I'd been open with them..._

* * *

Back at Forgotten Peak, Aurora gave Waya his bowl of the pasta and put the rest of it in the fridge, telling the white wolf she wasn't hungry. He didn't object to it, but he did feel kind of alone without Aurora sitting at the table with him...and Silver, too.

After he chowed down, he put the bowl in the sink. He would've washed it himself, but with no hands, that wasn't likely. He decided to check on Aurora again and walked upstairs to see her bedroom door and window open.

He peered through the window and saw Aurora sitting on the roof again, looking at the stars and the waning crescent moon. He climbed up and sat down next to her. He glanced at her, but she didn't turn to him, but she could tell from the corner of her eye that he was looking at her.

Waya put his head on hers, asking with concern, "_Are you okay?_"

"No," she answered quietly.

"_He'll be back,_" he reassured, but she was still sad. "_Who knows? He might decide to come back on his own again_."

"Well, hopefully, he'll be escorted home because I'd rather if he had company with him in case he runs into whoever... You know..." To be honest, she wished she knew who was going after Silver. If only she had those answers, then maybe Silver wouldn't be doing this stunt.

She looked back up at the moon and hugged her knees.

"_You want to howl?_" Waya asked.

"Actually, I'd rather just listen to you howl tonight," she confessed. "I'm not really in the mood to howl myself."

"_Okay, then_," he nodded with a grin. He stood up straight and howled at the glorious night sky, singing a tune by himself.

Aurora took in his melody and felt a little more relaxed. She closed her eyes and leaned against Waya, not noticing the slightly nervous look in his face that turned into a smile as he kept howling, trying to soothe Aurora's nerves.

The forest fell asleep itself, though the critters were all confused of hearing one howler, they fell into a peaceful slumber, silencing the entire mountain for the night, as if there were no troubles for Aurora, Waya, and Silver at all.

After several minutes of howling, Waya stopped and look down to see Aurora still leaning on him, looking like she was feeling much better. He smiled in satisfaction and relief that his howling had done the trick for the moment, and without paying attention, he rested his chin on her head.

She felt this and leaned herself closer to him, feeling more comfortable. Little did either of them know, his paw accidentally moved to her hand, making them open their eyes and look to see how close they were.

Feeling very awkward, they scooted away from each other, Aurora's face turning red and Waya smoothing his fur, his eyes a bit wide from that strange moment.

"Ahem, well," Aurora said, clearing her throat, "why don't we get some sleep? It's been...quite a day."

Waya nodded and watched Aurora who carefully climbed to her window, making sure not to fall down like last time and came inside her bedroom. "Good night, Waya."

The white wolf barked a "good night" to her and climbed back into his own bedroom, looking at the empty red bed that he'd let Silver sleep in. He, too, missed Silver. He may have had a little bit of a rocky start when he first saw him, taking him as a trespasser and feeling insulted when he called him Aurora's pet. But he grew to like the white hedgehog very quickly as Aurora did. They seemed to have had a lot in common, going through a lot of pain, but enduring it for other people's sake.

He wondered if he was okay staying with G.U.N., but he really hoped he would be right and come back to them. He went to his brown rug, taking one last look at the lonely looking mattress, and fell asleep.

Aurora laid in her bed, looking at the pictures of Knothole's Green Hills and Angel Island. She smiled at the memories of her first Mobians friends and wished she didn't have to say good-bye to them in the mean time while she was staying here.

_I still have Waya, though. And if he's right, we'll have Silver again, too._

She shedded a tear, wishing she could see Silver right now and apologize for shouting at him and ask him to please come back to them.

* * *

That night, Aurora was dreaming of flying among the stars and she thought she was in outer space again, but when she looked down, she saw in surprise that it was a floating island that she hadn't seen in so long.

"_It's Angel Island,_" she cried in delight. She flew straight down and landed at the pedestal of the large gem called the Master Emerald that kept the island afloat and wondered if she'd see Knuckles guarding it. However, she didn't see him and she wondered if he was at his hut.

Remembering her way from the last time she was here, she headed east of the island and found his small little house and went inside. The light were off and she wondered if he was here. She stepped into his bedroom and she found the red echidna asleep in his bed.

She smiled for she had missed him for quite a while, him and Sonic and the gang. Not wanting to disturb his slumber, she stepped out of the room and decided to explore Angel Island for old time's sake.

Before she made for the exit, she noticed a note on a table next to the couch that said, "Knuckles, in case you wake up and don't see me, I'm at the mountain. I know I shouldn't be out without telling you directly, but I just needed to do something important... Let's just say there are two mountain people I miss."

"_Two mountain people? But who'd be here with Knux and...?_" Her eyes widened in shock when she figured it out who'd left that note. "_No, it can't be... But what other mountain would this person be talkin' about? Still, why is he on Angel Island? I thought Shadow took him to G.U.N._"

She walked outside and flew off of the ground to do an aerial search of the island. She kept her eyes out for any white hedgehog that would stand out in the dark jungle forest, but she saw nothing below her until she looked up to see the white-furred Mobian glowing a little in the sky at the highest cliff of the mountain

"_He is on the island... But is he really?_" she queried. Shadow couldn't have taken him to Knuckles's home, but... Curious, she flew straight towards him and stood a few ways from him.

She didn't know what to say. She knew she meant to apologize, but she felt nervous to speak to him. Plus, this was a dream. She wanted to say sorry to the real Silver. "_I sure wish I could see you in real life, Silver_," she murmured.

To her surprise, Silver was howling at the crescent moon. Aurora couldn't believe he would be howling after what happened today.

_The note he left said he missed us... Does...does he really?_

She walked up next to him and sat down, listening to him howl. He sounded different howling by himself, but so did Waya. After a few minutes, he stopped and looked like he was listening for something. "_What is it, Silver?_" she asked him, but he didn't turn to her. She figured since this was a dream, he couldn't hear her or even see her. And she knew he couldn't feel her since her hand went through his shoulder. "_I guess I'm just a ghost in this dream._"

Then Silver turned his head and looked over the starry horizon. She wondered what he was looking at, then she noticed a guilty and sad look in his eyes. He sat down, his knee bent to his chest, resting his arm and chin on it. "I'm sorry, guys," he mumbled.

Aurora wondered if this was another vision, but something in her heart told her it was. She grinned and even though she knew he couldn't hear her, she said, "_We're... Well, Waya didn't do anything, but I did, and I'm for one am very sorry, too. All I want is for you to come back to us safely._" Standing up, she left him be and flew back into the starry sky.

She hoped that her instinct was right about this being another vision and that he was on Angel Island where'd it be a better living environment and that he was missing her and Waya...as much as they'd missed him.

* * *

The next morning, Aurora heard the sound howling and awoke with a smile and knew it was Waya. She opened the window and looked to see him howling at the dawn just like he would usually do. Normally, she'd feel just a little bit annoyed, but now she was very grateful to hear his morning howling as well as his howling last night.

Waya stopped and saw Aurora looking at him and he barked a "good morning."

"Morning, Waya," she greeted with a happy wave. The white wolf was relieved to see she was smiling this morning and climbed back into his bedroom.

The two had breakfast together and Waya watched as she did her morning exercises. Everything looked as if Silver's arrival had never happened, not that they liked it. After a few kicks and blows, Aurora finished her self-defense practices and sat down on the grass.

Waya walked up to her and put his head on hers. "_Nothing keeps you from doing your work, huh?_" he asked.

"Nope, when a job needs to be done, I don't rest until it is complete."

"_Nothing wrong with that_."

Before they did anything else, Waya perked his head up and looked around.

"What is it, Waya?" she asked curiously. Waya pointed his paw into the sky and she looked up to see something flying towards their house. She narrowed her eyes and saw that it was... "The X-Tornado!" she exclaimed with joy. She jumped up and had the happiest smile Waya had ever seen on her face.

Suddenly, a certain blue hedgehog zoomed up in front of them. "Hey, guys," he greeted with a wink. "Been a while, huh?"

"Sonic!" Aurora cried, hugging her blue friend. "What a pleasant surprise. We had no idea you and Tails were coming for a visit."

"Oh, it's not just Tails and me," he corrected with a grin, "Amy, Cream, and Cheese are here, too."

"Really?" she smiled. "I can't believe it." She watched excitedly as the X-Tornado landed safely in the front yard and the canopy opened to reveal Tails the Fox, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit and her pet Chao Cheese.

"Hi, Aurora, long time, no see," Tails waved.

"Hey, guys," she greeted.

"Hi, Aurora!" Amy called, sharing the same seat with Cream and Cheese.

They all climbed down and hugged their human friend. "Oh, man, it's so good to see all of you," she said. "I've been missing you guys."

"We've missed you, too, Aurora," Cream replied, Cheese cooing agreement.

"How you all been, anyhow?" Aurora asked, standing up.

"We've been just fine, but Knothole's still not the same without you around," Amy answered.

"Same here," Aurora nodded. Waya came up to greet them, happy to see them, too.

"Hi, Waya," Tails said to him. "How you been?"

Waya nodded with a grin. "He says he's all right," Aurora answered for him. "So what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Well, we thought we'd drop by and pay ya a visit," Sonic explained, "I did promise ya last time I'd come back with more visitors, didn't I?"

"That's right, you did, and I'm glad you kept that promise," she said sincerely.

"We were also wondering if you wouldn't mind if we took a tour of the mountain," Tails added.

"We also brought some lunch so we could have a picnic," Amy concluded, showing the big picnicking basket in her hand.

"Well, sure, Waya and I would be more than happy to show you all around," Aurora replied happily, Waya nodding in agreement. "Come on, and we'll take you to the best places," she instructed, motioning her head to the woods, her and Waya leading the way.

On the way, Aurora couldn't help wondering if Sonic planned this after hearing about her fight with Silver and that he wanted to cheer her and Waya up by planning a play date.

_If it's true, then I'm not complaining. It's just great to see him and the others again._

* * *

(Well, looks like things are gonna be nice. And what about that little moment with Aurora and Waya on the roof, hmm? ;) Think something will happen? Well, we'll just see. Until then, God bless.)


	10. Counseling and Rekindling

**Chapter 10: Counseling and Rekindling**

The sun shined bright in the summer day, its light breaking through the tree branches above, lighting the path Aurora and Waya led the others on. They showed them the beautiful plants that grow and Aurora explained their many medical uses for treating illnesses and injuries.

"They don't call it the healing power of nature for nothing, my friends," Aurora told them matter-o-factly.

"True that," Sonic agreed.

"I never knew how helpful some of these plants are," Amy added.

"It's a good thing there are so many of these pretty flowers around in case you need them," Cream said, Cheese nodding.

"Yep, and that's why we make sure to come out here to make sure they're still healthy and fresh," Aurora explained.

Next they were greeted by friendly birds who came down for them to meet. "Look how beautiful these birds are," Amy chimed, petting a mountain bluebird that was sitting on her index finger.

"They sure are nice birds," Tails said, stroking the chest of a Stellar's Jay that was sitting on his shoulder.

"Yes, whenever we come out for a walk, they fly down to say hello," Aurora told them, stroking the back of Cassin's Finch.

A bunch of Vermilion Flycatchers sat on Waya's shoulder with one on his head, looking at his face making him look upside-down to Waya who smiled at the bird.

"Boy, it's kinda surprising that they're not afraid of Waya," Sonic observed.

"That's because I think they know he's a human on the inside and a good human at that," Aurora theorized. "After all, animals do have a sixth sense."

"What's a sixth sense?" Cream asked curiously.

"You see, most of us have just have five senses," Aurora began to explain. "You know, hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste, but a sixth sense is like... Um, how do I say it?"

"Like a psychic sense," Tails guessed getting a confused look from the others. "Well, it's kind of like a psychic sense. They can feel and understand things we don't. Like when a natural disaster's about to happen."

"Right," Aurora nodded, "or if they can sense how good a person's soul is. That's why these birds aren't afraid of Waya even though he's a wolf because he's a very good guy."

This made Waya grin bashfully, looking away. After saying good-bye to the birds, Aurora and Waya brought them to the gigantic lake, its surface still and giving a very blue shine to it like the sky up above.

"Wow!" Amy cried in awe. "It's so beautiful."

"It's so big, it's almost like an ocean," Cream remarked.

"Good thing it's not," Sonic muttered, then asked in a whining tone, "We're not thinkin' of takin' a dip, are we?"

"Relax, Blue Wonder, we're only taking a stroll, nothing more," she reassured. After a walk around the water, which Sonic detested, they stopped at a spot and had their picnic.

"This is just like old times," Amy pronounced.

"It sure is," Aurora agreed. "Having lunch, being surrounded by nature, it's like all of the craziness with Eggman never happened."

"Yeah, we've missed doing these kind of activities with you ever since you had to go into hiding," Tails confessed, everyone looking a little sad.

"I know, I have, too," Aurora replied sympathetically.

"Aurora, if we find all of the Chaos Emeralds to keep Eggman from looking for you, will you come back to Knothole with us?" Cream asked.

Aurora blinked in thought. She did miss Knothole and her friends who lived there. After all, they were her first friends when she met on Mobius. But after being here on this mountain with Waya and with Silver, she felt a new belonging to this place.

"Well, I..." she said, trying to find the right words.

"We'll just have to wait and see, Cream," Sonic told the little rabbit.

Aurora looked at the blue hedgehog and she wondered if he guessed the reason for her hesitation.

After lunch was over, Aurora and Waya showed them the rest of the mountain to a stream where she told everyone how she threw Sonic in the water when he tried to tickle her. They all laughed while Sonic just folded his arms and frowned.

"He did ask for it, though," Aurora finished, eyeing Sonic, "Especially since he told all of you that I'm ticklish."

"Hey, is it really so wrong if your friends know you're ticklish?" he asked innocently with a shrug.

"Well, it's better for your friends to know than your enemies, but still..." she replied, "I don't like being tickled."

"That's what makes it even more fun," Sonic said matter-o-factly, earning an annoyed glare from Aurora.

Then they headed for the mountain wall and started climbing up with Tails, Cream, and Cheese flying ahead of them. When they reached midway, they stared in awe at the beautiful sight of Forgotten Peak.

"Hey, you can see the lake from here," Tails announced, pointing at the cerulean water that almost looked like nothing but a drop of water from up there.

"And I can see the house, too," Amy added, her making a salute over her eyes to see the tri-colored home below.

"Yep, enough to take your breath away," Aurora stated. "And it's always peaceful and quiet."

Waya put his head on her head and she told them of his opinion. "He says, 'But for some noise, we play songs from the iPod'."

"Say, Aurora, do you think we can listen to some of your songs when we get down?" Amy asked hopefully.

"We really missed hearing your music," Cream agreed, Cheese nodding.

"Sure, why not?" As they climbed back down safely and headed back to the house, she wondered how Silver was doing on Angel Island right now...

* * *

On the floating island in the sky, the colorful birds cawed good morning as they went about their day, flying above the thick trees and coming to the fresh and clear springs to drink from.

Knuckles and Silver were collecting fruit from many of the tall jungle trees, and Knuckles climbed up the tree with Silver holding the basket below.

"Now just hold up the basket and catch the fruit when I drop them to you," the red echidna called from the branches.

"All right," Silver called back, although he had a different way to catch the fruit that he was going to wow Knuckles with.

When Knuckles dropped the first fruit, but instead of raising the basket, Silver put it on the ground and opened his palm that glowed and stopped the gourd in the air. Knuckles stared in amazement as Silver gently brought down the fruit down into the basket, looking up to the red echidna with a rather sly grin.

"Huh, I forgot that you can do that," Knuckles remarked, leaning at the tree. "Not a bad catch, kid."

"Thanks," he nodded, pleased that he impressed his host.

"Although, if you rely only on your..." Knuckles said, trying to find the right word.

"Telekinesis."

"Telekinesis, then it's not considered hard work," he said matter-o-factly. "I mean, it's not a bad power, but there are times when you're gonna have to rely on your own physical strength."

Silver looked at the ground in thought. He didn't think much about that. He had to use his own fists before, but he mostly used his telekinesis since it was his strong suit. "So you're saying if something happens and I can't use my powers, I may have fight in direct combat?"

"Well, yeah, and you'll have to do other things the hard way by using your own muscles." He plucked a fruit from its branch and called down, "Now hold the basket again and try to catch it. Let's hope you're about as fast as Sonic and Shadow on your feet."

As the fruit fell down, Silver lifted up the basket this time and ran to the spot where the fruit was flying down and caught it in the hand-made basket. He grinned in amazement and satisfaction.

"Hey, I caught it!" he called victoriously.

"Now that's a good catch, by doing it the hard way," Knuckles nodded in approval, doing a thumbs-up. "Watch out, here come some more," he called, bringing down more fruit. At first it started out with one at a time, then Knuckles sped things up by throwing another fruit before Silver could catch one that was already falling, making it a little hard for the white hedgehog as he tried to get every fruit in the basket.

Next thing he knew, it was raining fruit and finally having enough, he put the basket down and used his TK to stop the fruit from falling on top of him and panted to catch his breath. He looked around to see some fruit that he'd failed to catch and that the basket was overflowing with the fruit he had caught.

"Well, did you enjoy that?" Knuckles teased, leaning back on the tree with folded arms.

"Enjoy that?" he echoed in disbelief. "Were you doing that on purpose?"

"Yes, to teach you a lesson," he answered simply.

"A lesson?" he said, tilting his head in confusion.

"Uh-huh, because someone was howling last night and woke me up and when I came out of my room to find out what the noise was, I found you missing." The red echidna's lecturing look made Silver wince when he realized he'd disturbed Knuckles from his slumber. "So that was to punish you for waking me up and for sneaking off like that," Knuckles stated, with a raised finger.

"Well, I left a note," Silver insisted.

"I know you did, but you should've asked for permission first," Knuckles said in a rather scolding tone.

"I know, but I didn't want to bother you since you were sleeping," Silver said sheepishly, rubbing his arm.

"Well, you did kinda bother me by howling in the middle of the night," he replied bluntly, "but hey, as long as you tell me where you're at and you do it before it gets late, we won't have any problems."

"Yes, sir-I mean, Knuckles," he stammered, remembering he didn't have to call him sir.

Knuckles nodded, satisfied he'd learned not to go off and worry him like that again. "But I'll admit, before I deliberately made things difficult for you, those weren't bad catches."

"Really?"

"Yeah, in fact, I really wanted you to use your physical strength instead of using your powers," he explained, then landed squarely on the ground, "Like I said, doing things the easy way all the time using your telekinesis is not the best idea."

"Right," Silver nodded.

"Now, let's bring this fruit back to the hut."

As Knuckles led the way with Silver following with the basket, the young hedgehog looked around the trees full of luscious fruit and wondered how well Aurora did with the chores on the island. "Say, Knuckles, would Aurora help you collect fruit when she was staying with you?" Silver asked curiously.

"Yeah, and she'd catch every fruit in that basket without fail," he answered, remembering how quick and sharp-eyed she was to get the falling fruit in the basket. "She had good timing and fast feet."

"What other chores did she help you with?"

"Hauling water to the hut, collecting firewood, garden the vineyard," Knuckles listed, "She was a hard worker, that's for sure. Gets the job done right."

"She sounds very helpful," Silver commented.

"That she is," Knuckles agreed.

"...Do you miss having her around?" Silver asked suddenly.

Knuckles was quiet for a second and said, "Well, yeah. I mean, I was always used to being alone on my island, but having her around made things more interesting and exciting, especially teaching her how to climb trees and use herbs for medicine. Plus, unlike most of the others, she doesn't give me a hard time. She was good company."

Silver was glad to hear how good friends she'd been with the red echidna. Then again, like Sonic and the others told him on their way to the island last night, she could easily make friends with anyone, even with loners like Knuckles and Shadow.

His thoughts returned to how she and Waya were doing at Forgotten Peak, anyhow. He recalled how the day would start off with Waya howling at the sun which was still unusual for a wolf, and then after coming back from jewel hunting, he'd watch Shadow and Aurora work out through the window, admiring at how well she was doing to defend herself, then the three would enjoy a good meal, and finally he'd listen to their regularly good-night howling to the mountain, drinking in the lovely sounds of their voices.

His heart twinged in pain when he remembered just yesterday of the fun he'd had with them in the mountain, taking a walk through the woods, seeing the lake, the stream and the view of the forest from the mountain top like they were at the top of the world. Although he loved that day with them, he remembered their promise to be open and help each other, the promise he broke by telling them his decision to leave at the last minute and Aurora telling him how dangerous his plan was after just telling him of the terrible dream of his fate she had that almost scared her too much to tell him about it...

_But she told me, anyway...so that I would know for my sake. ...And she did look terrified when she explained it to me..._

She told him the situation because she wanted so much to help him... He knew he wants to help her...and he now he was making so that she wouldn't help him...

_The voice said she can help me, too... But can she help me with something like this?_

He remembered how Blaze used herself to seal Iblis inside her, causing her to disappear in a world he didn't know... To this day, he still wondered if he'd ever see her again...

_And what if Aurora suffers like she did? Lost in a world unknown? It's already happened to her here, but I wouldn't want her to be alone... Or if she'd suffer from a fate much worse..._

"Hey, kid!" The sound of Knuckles's voice jolted Silver out of his thoughts and he looked to see he was falling behind of the red echidna. "You frozen or somethin'?"

"Uh, no," he stammered, walking up to him, "Sorry, I was...thinking."

As the white hedgehog went past him, Knuckles looked at him and he had a feeling what-_whom_-he was thinking about.

* * *

When they got back to the house, Aurora moved the coffee table and furniture and plugged in her iPod in its dock. "Any requests?" she asked.

Waya stepped up and put his head on hers. "_I'd like to hear __We're In Heaven_."

"Okay," Aurora nodded, but Waya pulled her bent arm with his paw and put his head back on her head again. "_But I'd like to hear you sing it._"

Aurora blinked and gave the white wolf a frown. "You gonna bring that up again?" she muttered.

"_Please, just let them hear_," he begged, "_Silver heard it and he liked it. Come on._"

"What's he sayin'?" Sonic asked.

"He says he wants to hear me sing the song," she answered, rubbing her arm shyly as she explained, "You see, when he first came here, he not only encouraged me to...dance, but he also got me to sing, too."

"You got Aurora to sing and dance?" Amy asked Waya in amazement.

"We couldn't do that in Knothole," Tails added, "Whenever she'd play us her songs, we'd ask her to dance with us, but she'd always say no."

"Well, why do you guys want me to tell ya?" Aurora shrugged, "I'm shy."

"So how is it that Waya convinced you?" Sonic queried.

"He was persistent and..." she said eyeing the white wolf, "he wouldn't take no for an answer."

Waya just shrugged, not letting her annoyed stare intimidate him.

"Well, looks like Waya was the best one to get you out of your shell," Sonic remarked, impressed with his arms folded.

"How good is your singing?" Amy asked Aurora curiously.

"It's okay," she answered scratching her head. Waya poked her leg with his paw to give them _his _opinion of her singing. She rolled her eyes and said, "Well, according to him, he says it's amazing."

"Really?" Tails asked.

"Could you sing for us, please?" Cream asked politely, Cheese nodding.

"Yeah, come on, Aurora," Sonic encouraged, "Let's hear ya sing."

Aurora sighed, seeing she wasn't going to win this one and announced, "All right, but get ready." She cleared her throat and pressed the iPod's play button for the song.

"_Baby, you're all that I want. When you're lying here in my arms. I'm finding it hard to believe...we're in Heaven._"

As the song began its tempo, Aurora danced around in the living room, amazing her Mobian friends as how she was actually moving to the song's beat. They were even more impressed when she started singing again.

"_Oh, thinking about our younger years. We were young, wild, and free. Now nothing can take you away from me. We've been through that road before, but that's over now. You keep me coming back for more. Baby, you're all that I want. When you're lying here in my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe...we're in Heaven. And love is all that I'll need and I found it there in your heart. It isn't too hard to see...we're in Heaven._"

They all smiled at how her voice matched the singer's in the music player and they started dancing, too, as they listened to her sing the rest of the song.

"_Now nothing can change what you mean to me. There's a lot I could say, but just hold me now. 'Cause our love will light the way. Baby, you're all that I want. When you're lying here in my arms, I'm finding it hard to believe...we're in Heaven. And love is all that I'll need and I found it there in your heart. It isn't too hard to see...we're in Heaven. Now our dreams our coming true. Through the good times and the bad, I'll be standing there by you..._"

Waya listened intently, loving her voice more than the songstress's in the iPod. He always loved to hear her sing and he was amazed at how she could match her voice to the pitch of the singers' voices as well as his voice whenever she'd howl with him. He knew that she had good ears.

"_And love is all that I'll need and I found that in your heart. It isn't too hard to see...we're in Heaven! Oh, oh, oh...! Oh, oh, oh...! We're in Heaven._"

Once the song was over, everyone applauded at her performance, making her grin bashfully.

"So I guess you liked it a little?" she asked sarcastically.

"A little?" Sonic echoed.

"We liked it a lot," Tails corrected.

"Actually, we loved it," Amy stated.

"You have a really pretty voice, Aurora," Cream complimented, Cheese cooing in agreement.

"Not only that, but you danced really well," Sonic told the human red-head. "To think, you used to be the same girl who'd rather sit down and watch the rest of us do that instead."

Aurora grinned and put a hand on Waya's shoulder. "Well, I have Waya to thank for that. He was the one who taught me that dancing and singing in front of others isn't silly."

Waya smirked and turned his head away in modesty.

"Way to go, Waya," Sonic remarked, giving him a thumbs-up and a wink. "You did just as good with her as we did."

Waya shrugged, his way of saying "it was nothing."

"Well, now that my singing is agreeable, how about some more songs, huh?" Aurora offered.

"Yes, please. Can you play _At The Beginning_," Amy requested. Aurora nodded and played it, knowing she liked it because it was romantic and Amy Rose was what someone would call a hopeless romantic and she had the biggest crush on Sonic who didn't seem ready for love yet, although Aurora herself was supportive of Amy's fondness of the Blue Wonder.

After that song was over, Tails requested for _Headphones_, Cream requested for _Ready Or Not_, Sonic requested for _Someday_, and Waya requested for _It's Always A Good Time_. Aurora sang some of the songs and a few of the other songs, the others would sing along, too. She smiled, even though she'd have fun with these guys before, she didn't have this much fun singing and dancing with them...and now, thanks to Waya, she was happy she could do this now.

* * *

Back on Angel Island after lunch, Knuckles took Silver a tour of the place, showing him the vineyards, the springs, the waterfalls, and the Master Emerald, the huge emerald that glowed making Silver feels its power on his white fur.

Knuckles explained to him the emerald's history of how it was abused by his people long ago and how he became its guardian.

"So now it's your responsibility?" Silver asked after he'd finished telling the story.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded. "It's a tough job since guys like Eggman keep trying to take it to use its power to charge up machines when he can't get Chaos Emeralds."

Silver thought for a moment about that and asked, "You don't suppose Eggman has a Chaos Emerald himself, do you?"

Knuckles wondered about that and replied, "I sure hope he doesn't, kid. I sure hope he doesn't."

Silver saw the a dark look in the echidna's eyes and he wondered if he was thinking about the last time he had an emerald that he used to enhance Aurora's aura to power up that awful Egg-Scrambler.

"Although," Knuckles said, "if would be good if we could find him again because he was the one who figured out about her aura first when she first came to Mobius. If we can get him to tell us about it, we might understand her aura more."

"...Like for instance, how much it'll hurt her if she uses the emeralds too much with it?" Silver suggested carefully.

"Well, yeah."

Silver gazed at the giant gem and he wished that it would tell them more about Aurora and her ability to use the smaller magical gems with her aura. He looked up to the sky and he wondered what was going on with her and Waya now...

He looked down at the ground for a moment and he noticed a wrist communicator Knuckles was wearing and he just remembered that he left his at Aurora's house when he was cooking, the last thing he did before he up and left with Shadow. He wished he still had his on because he wanted to talk to Aurora...

Knuckles noticed the white hedgehog's stare and he looked in the direction of his eyes to see he was looking at his com. "Something about my com that's bothering you?" he asked.

"No, it's just that I remember accidentally leaving mine at Aurora's house," he confessed.

"You left it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, you see, the last thing I did over there was make pasta and I had to take my com off and with everything going on with Aurora and when Shadow asked offered to take me with him, my com was completely at the back of my mind..."

Silver was quiet when he remembered Aurora being angry with him and running away from him up to her bedroom. Knuckles blinked at the sad expression on his face and even though the white hedgehog should've remembered to bring his com, he did understand how he was too busy to think about it when someone was upset with him.

"And you want to use my com to call her, right?" Knuckles guessed, lifting up his wrist. Without hearing a response, the echidna took it off and gave it to him. "Here, her number's on speed dial."

Silver looked at him and even though he was grateful for his generosity, he stared at the com in his hands and he stood still in hesitation.

"Frozen or somethin'?" Knuckles teased with a grin.

"Or something," he replied quietly, then gripped the com. "I'm afraid... What if she won't talk to me? What if she answers, then hangs up at the sound of my voice? Or what if she doesn't hang up and starts yelling at me? And she says she doesn't want to be my friend? Or...?"

"Or what if your white fur is replaced with pink feathers, and your neck gets longer, and you grow wings and all of a sudden you're a flamingo?" Knuckles interrupted. "Seriously, you're being a little paranoid about it."

"But, Knuckles, you weren't there when I was trying to talk to her at her house. She wouldn't even look at me and when I tried to even touch her, she recoiled from me and ran away from me." Silver turned around, looking even sadder than before. "It hurt so much when I made her mad like that. Like she wanted nothing to do with me..."

He felt like he was going to explode. The first time he left was because he was afraid that if Aurora used the Chaos Emeralds, she'd get hurt or worse, but when the voice told him that, not only could she help him, but he could help her, too. He'd hoped that meant he could keep Aurora from being taken like Blaze and when he did come back, he promised Aurora he'd help to prevent anything bad from happening to her.

But his desire to protect her has made her abandon her and Waya again, but this was worse because of the bond they were sharing and he feared that that bond was gone. "I don't want to lose her, Knuckles," he confided, "That's why I thought up with this plan to bring the enemy out, but because I broke my promise and left without saying good-bye, I feel like I am losing her. I don't know what Waya's thinking, but I might lose him, too."

Knuckles came up to the boy and put a hand on his back. "Now that's enough," he said gently, "If you give up without even trying to make up with them, then you may lose them." He rubbed his back as he went on, "Honestly, even though I haven't known you or Waya for very long, I can you two are a lot alike when it comes to Aurora's safety. He wanted to leave the moment he was healed because he was being chased by his people and he didn't want Aurora to get involved, either. And when she did get involved, he wanted so much to help her as much as she wanted to help him.

"And now you're sort of doing what Waya did, going away to protect others...without even saying anything. I'm sure he was as broken-hearted as she was...and you are now. If I know Aurora, she'd feel guilty for not being there to see you off and she'd want more than anything to talk to you, just like she felt with Waya."

Silver looked down at the com again and wondered if Knuckles was right...

"If you're not ready to talk to her right this second, then just wait a few minutes or an hour or two to figure out the right words," Knuckles advised, "but don't wait for too long. After all, she didn't wait too long to tell you of her dream of you."

The white hedgehog thought about it and with a more hopeful look, he squeezed the com and nodded. He cared about those two a lot and if he wanted to prove it and not let their friendship vanish forever, then he will think of what to say and call them...tonight.

* * *

After Aurora and Waya finished playing songs for the others, Waya went playing with the kids while Sonic and Aurora stayed in the living room alone because he'd asked to speak with her and she had a feeling what it was about.

Sonic sat on one of the blue chairs and Aurora sat on the red sofa after putting down a tray of lemonade and Bacci cookies she'd already made as a snack for the others in a minute.

"I guess you pretty much know the reason why we're here, huh?" Sonic said with a slight nervous, scratching his head.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, leaning against the couch with a leg on her knee, folding her arms. "You heard from Shadow about me and Silver's argument last night."

"Uh-huh." Sonic was quiet for a second and he said in a clear voice, "Look, Aurora, I know you're upset that he broke his promise, but he didn't mean to. He's just scared for you since you told him about that dream about him. In case it is Eggman, he doesn't want to be found here with you, or if it's someone worse."

"...I know why he did it and I do understand..." she replied, her eyes on her lap. "And I'm scared for him, too. That's why I had to tell him about that dream so he'd be aware of the danger he's going to be in... I just wish he'd let Waya and me help." She sighed deeply. "But more than anything, Sonic, I feel guilty for not saying good-bye to him before he left. It was like I was inadvertently tossing out Waya all over again."

Aurora looked up at the ceiling and Sonic understood that she really cared for Silver as much as she cares for Waya. Not only because she dreamt about them, but because they'd been good friends to her. He stood up and walked up to her and put a reassuring hand on her knee that made her look at him.

"Hey, we know you didn't want to send either of them away," he consoled with a smile, "With Waya, you just didn't want him to know about you or he would've gotten in trouble with Eggman. And with Silver, you were just upset he was doing something dangerous without telling you and you want to be there for him. How do you think they feel? Waya didn't want you in danger with his people and Silver wants to help keep danger away from you when it comes for him. After all, Aurora, they did lose important people in their lives, and they don't want to lose you, too."

She thought about it and she knew he had a point. Those boys did go through a lot of pain and they wanted to keep it from happening to others also. Right now, from her dream of Silver looking lonely on Angel Island last night, she wanted to speak to him and ease the pain he was already feeling.

With a grin, she looked at her blue-furred friend and said, "You're right." Giving him a hug, she added, "Thanks, Sonic. Now I know what to do."

"Sure thing," he replied, returning the hug, "But what are you going to do?"

"To talk to him tonight. To apologize for, you know..."

Sonic grinned and nodded, "That's not a bad idea. Oh, and just so you know, he's not at G.U.N. He's at..."

"Angel Island," she finished for him. "Yes, I know."

"You do?" he blinked, surprised she heard already. "How?"

"Well, you see, I was dreaming of flying in the night sky last night," she explained, "At first I thought I was in space again until I saw Angel Island and I flew down to see Knuckles asleep soundly in his hut and when I walked into the living room, I noticed a note beside the couch that said someone had to go to the mountain because it reminded him of two other mountain people. I couldn't believe it at first, but when I flew up and saw Silver himself howling at the crecsent moon, I had a feeling that Shadow brought him to stay with Knuckles instead of G.U.N. H.Q."

"Whoa," he responded in complete amazement, "These dreams you keep getting never cease to wow somebody."

"...Believe me, Sonic, the dream I had of him before this one is something I wish wouldn't come true," she told him seriously.

He patted her hand in and said, "Hey, we'll make sure nothing happens to him."

"I'm not doubtin' ya..." she grinned. That is, if she knew who this enemy was.

* * *

After snack time, Sonic and the others sadly bid Aurora and Waya farewell. "It was great seeing you again, guys," Aurora told them, Waya nodding.

"You, too, Aurora," Sonic agreed, giving her one last hug before the go.

"We'll have to do it again sometime soon," Tails added, hugging her, too.

"I'd love that. Waya would, too," Aurora replied, motioning her head to the white wolf who nodded again.

"Take care, you guys," Amy said, hugging her.

"You, too," Aurora responded.

"We hope to see you real soon," Cream said, her and Cheese hugging her.

"Us, too," Aurora nodded.

Waya smiled, seeing how much she loved her Knothole friends and wished he had the time to get to know them as well as she did. With Tails riding the girls home in the sky, they waved good-bye in the air and Sonic giving Aurora and Waya a thumbs-up and a wink. "Don't forget that phone call," he told her.

"I won't," she assured.

"'Til then, catch ya both later," he called as he dashed away, leaving a gust of wind behind him.

Waya looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she knew what his question was. "Sonic and I have a little chat about Silver... And I think I should give him a call tonight to...straighten things out."

The white wolf blinked and wagged his tail, his way of saying, "Really?"

"Yes, really," she laughed. "After all...we shouldn't let our friends go so easily argument or not."

Waya smiled and was grateful that Sonic could talk to her. It seemed he himself could do just as a good job with her as he can and Sonic and his friends could all cheer her up just as well him, too.

* * *

That night, Aurora and Waya waited on the patio for Shadow to come and give her her self-defense lessons. Aurora was curious as to why he wasn't here on time as he usually was after five minutes.

Suddenly, she heard a beep on her communicator and immediately answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Aurora," Shadow said.

"Hey, Shadow, I was just wondering where you were. You're usually here at this time."

"I know, and I'm sorry that this is unexpected, but we're gonna have to skip training just for tonight. Rouge, Omega, and I have been going on an emerald hunt and I think we've found one in a gorge. Rouge saw something sparkling buried deep in a crevice on the side of the wall and we believe it might be it."

"Hey, if I spotted a Chaos Emerald in underwater while flying in the air, I can find it in a dark wall, too," Rouge gloated. "For a bat, I do have sharp eyes, don't I?"

"Yes, and unfortunately, you're tongue is as sharp, too," Shadow added.

"Unfortunately?" Rouge repeated, sounding offended.

"Hi, Rouge," Aurora greeted, not wanting them to start a fight.

"Hi, hon. Great to hear from you."

"Likewise. How are you and Omega doin'?"

"I'm fine and right now Omega's using his arms as drills to dig for the Chaos Emerald. How are you and Waya?"

"We're well, thanks."

"Good." Aurora heard the bat clear her throat and muttered to Shadow. "Isn't there something you want to discuss with her?"

"Right," Shadow replied, "Aurora, listen, I know taking Silver with me like that was sudden, but I knew things would've been hard for you and Waya since you were upset, so I thought it would've been best if we'd left right there and then. And I am sorry if it was hard, anyway."

"Well, Shadow, it was hard," she confessed gently, "but I do understand his reasons and why you, yourself, agreed to them. Truth be told, if anyone should apologize to anyone, I think I should say sorry to Silver. I was hard on him."

"Glad to hear you want to make up with him," Rouge replied.

"So am I," Shadow agreed, "but before you call him, I want to let you know he's not at G.U.N."

"I know, you took him to Angel Island," Aurora said.

"Sonic told you?" Shadow asked, knowing he and the others had visited her today.

"No, I dreamt about it last night," she answered simply.

"Wait, you dreamt about it?" Shadow repeated confusedly.

"Yes, I guess since I was worried about him, I had a vision about him, and I'm pretty sure he is on the island with Knuckles."

"Gee, Aurora, a person would think you're psychic since you keep having visions about these things," Rouge commented.

Aurora shrugged and said, "I guess it has something to do with my aura, but I'd still like to call him tonight, to see if he's okay and... Well, you know."

"We understand," Shadow sympathized.

"And good luck," Rouge added.

"Thanks, guys. And please say hello to Omega for us."

"We will," Shadow assured. "See you tomorrow."

"All right, bye." After she hung up, she turned to Waya and announced, "Well, looks like we've got free time on our hands...and paws."

"_Should we fix up some grub, then_?" Waya asked.

"Might as well," she replied, getting inside. "Come on. After that, we can call Silver."

* * *

At the gorge where Shadow and his team were, he'd just hung up on his wrist com after talking to Aurora.

"Well, looks like that play date with Sonic and the gang was a good idea," Rouge declared.

"Definitely looks like," Shadow agreed, overlooking Omega at the bottom of the gorge where the robot was drilling for the Chaos Emerald. "And even better news is: We've found another Chaos Emerald. That just leaves two more to go."

Omega drilled deeper into the hole and he dug for two minutes that felt like forever and finally he stopped and came back out to call his friends. "Shadow, Rouge, I have found it."

They glided down in front of the hole to see their robotic friend with a green Chaos Emerald in his metal hand.

"I knew I saw it down here," Rouge said, victoriously. "What would you guys do without my jewel-sensors?"

"We'd probably be lost," Shadow replied, humoring her and taking the green gem. "Now that we have it, let's give it to Knuckles for save keeping." Holding up the emerald, he shouted, "Chaos Control!" Then, a white light flashed and they all disappeared from the gorge and found themselves on the floating island in front of the Master Emerald.

Knuckles, who was at the top of the pedestal's steps lying down, immediately got up to see Shadow and his friends. "How did...?" he asked, but when he saw the green emerald in Shadow's hand, he understood. "Ah, I see you found another one."

"I spotted it in a crevice in a gorge," Rouge bragged.

"And Omega dug it out," Shadow added, making Rouge glare at him, wanting impress Knuckles herself, although the echidna simply took the gem from Shadow and said, "Thanks, now we're two emeralds away from a complete set."

Shadow nodded, then he asked, "By the way, where's Silver?"

Knuckles pointed to the mountain. "He's up there. He's...making a phone call."

"He's calling Aurora?" Rouge guessed.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, "He had to use my com since he accidentally left his at her house."

"He left his communicator behind?" Shadow asked in disbelief and groaned, his hand on his forehead.

"You could go to Aurora's and get it now with the emerald," Knuckles suggested, handing him back the green gem.

"No, I already told her I wasn't coming tonight because we were looking for that," Shadow explained, pointing at the emerald, "I'd rather not bother her now, especially if she's talking with Silver."

"Whom, coincidentally, Aurora was going to call when we were speaking to her not too long ago," Rouge added. "Her talk with Sonic on his and the gang's visit paid off, and Aurora said she wanted to call the kid herself to make up with him."

"Well, looks like things are gonna go well with those two," Knuckles observed with a satisfied smile, looking at the direction Silver's at.

"Hmm...I wonder if he's called yet," Rouge wondered aloud, stepping forward, but Shadow held her by the arm.

"Mm-mm-mmm," he denied, "Leave them be, Rouge. This is something they have to do alone."

"I was just curious," she excused, "...I just want to make sure they make up for real."

"I must admit, I am somewhat anxious of Aurora and Unit Silver myself," Omega said.

"They'll make up," Shadow reassured, "Aurora won't let him go just like that."

"Yeah," Knuckles nodded in agreement, seeing Silver's white outline on the dark mountain top, "and neither will he."

* * *

Silver sat up at the top of the mountain, his eyes glued on the com he'd borrowed from Knuckles. He had a finger close to the speed dial on Aurora's number, but it was barely an inch away from the device.

He was very nervous, even though he'd practiced on what to say to her. "Come on," he told himself, feeling frustrated from his hesitation, "Just press the button and talk to her. If you really want Aurora to know you're sorry, then call her right now." He took a deep breath and just when he was about to finally press the button, he jumped when the com itself beeped. Tilting his head in curiosity, he answered the call, wondering who'd call Knuckles.

"Hello?"

"Silver?" Aurora asked, making Silver's eyes go wide.

"Aurora? Is it really you?"

"Yeah. I tried calling you by your com until I heard it in the kitchen...where you accidentally..."

"...Left it behind," Silver finished sheepishly, "Yeah, I know, I should've remembered to take it."

"Well, yes," she replied a little bluntly, "but since I knew you were already on Angel Island, I thought I'd call Knuckles on his com, but I didn't think you'd be answering it."

"Yeah, you see...I wanted to call you to apologize, so I borrowed Knuckles's com."

"You were going to call?" Aurora asked, surprised.

"Yes, because...I was wrong." He squeezed his fist, almost wanting to punch himself. "I broke our promise. I wasn't being honest with you and Waya. I wanted to help protect you so much without even thinking about your feelings." A tear escaped his eyes and his voice sounded like it was cracking. "I just don't want either of you hurt, but I ended up hurting you. I'm really sorry."

"Shh, Silver, calm down," Aurora soothed, "I understand your intentions. And I'm really sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you and I should've said good-bye. You see, I was not only upset that you didn't consult us with your plan, but since I was...I'm still terrified of what this mysterious enemy that wants your life...and I..." Waya put a hand on her knee, and she nodded. "Waya and I really want to be there to help in case..."

Silver grinned and he understood. "I guess we're all just as terrified for our friends' safety."

"Yes," Aurora replied quietly. "Silver...I know you're a powerful hedgehog, and so are the others...but this person wants to destroy you...and we don't even know who. If it's Eggman, then I'm scared to death if you'll suffer the same way that I almost did..."

"Hey, listen, that won't happen. Eggman always loses, remember?" Silver reminded her, "That's what Sonic says."

"Yes, he does always lose, but that doesn't make him less dangerous. He goes through anything to get what he wants."

"I know..." Silver said, "and if he's the one who's after me, I'd still like to help capture him by being bait. If he's captured, Aurora, then you won't have to worry about him anymore."

"I'd love that, Silver. I really do...but he won't be easy to catch."

"Yeah, Sonic and the others told me that already, but it's worth a try, isn't it?" he insisted.

"As long as everything goes well," she answered seriously. "But, Silver, whether it's Eggman or not, do not let your guard down and don't get overconfident. ...I know Sonic and the others will be there for you, but please...be very careful."

"I will, Aurora," he promised, "I will."

"And...when you all stop this enemy...would you mind coming back to stay with us? We really miss havin' ya around." Waya barked in agreement.

"You don't even have to ask, guys," Silver replied, "I'd love to come back and stay with you again. I'm just glad you guys want me to come back."

"Yeah, well, friends shouldn't stay mad each other forever," Aurora stated.

"No...they shouldn't," Silver agreed. He was happy that she was calling him friend again, her and Waya. His heart was so relieved and filled with joy, he almost felt like flying right now.

"Oh, and by the way, glad to know you still like to howl at the moon," Aurora said, "It seems Waya's put an influence on you, too."

"Well, it's just that..." Silver began to explain, but stopped when he was confused about something. "Hang on, how'd you know I was howling last night?"

"I had another vision last night. I came to Angel Island flying and going through walls and such like a ghost and I saw your note on the couch. It said you wanted to do something important since the island's mountain reminded you of two other mountain people."

Silver was silent in amazement as how closely accurate she was about his note last night.

"I know, it's all strange, but I think my aura has something to do with these visions I keep having. ...And when I saw you on the mountain, I heard you howling and I saw how lonely you were when you were done."

Silver nodded. "I'd wished I could've done better before I left."

"Me, too, but at least we're making things better right now," she consoled. "And you're not alone. You're no longer fighting your own battles. You have us now and whether it's Waya and me, or Sonic and Shadow, one of us will be there to help you."

"Thanks, Aurora," he replied gratefully, smiling happily that he'd found friends who'd go through so much for him.

"Thank you, too, Silver...for coming to us. We enjoyed having a new good friend." Waya put his head on hers and she translated, "Waya says, 'Will you be howling again tonight?'"

"Well, yes. In fact, I was hoping if I'd howled last night, you guys could hear me. Did you?" he asked hopefully.

"If we had, I would've told you."

"Oh, right," he replied, feeling dumb.

"But why don't we all howl together right now while we're still on our coms?" she suggested.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

Silver thought for a moment. He did want to howl with them, but in person. However, as long as they could still hear each other howling and sing to the moon together, what did they have to lose? "Okay, then."

"Waya, take the lead, please," Aurora requested.

The white wolf nodded and howled at the crescent moon that was thin in the night sky, almost turning new, then Aurora joined and Silver along with them. It was different howling with them through the com, but he was still happy he could hear them, anyway.

In fact, he felt like Waya and Aurora were standing beside him right here, right now. He shedded a tear again, but this time it was a joyful tear because he all he had to do was vanquish the enemy and then he would go back to his friends... No, his _best _friends.

* * *

(Was this too sappy? But aren't you guys glad I finally updated? I'm sorry this took so long. I've been slow on what to write lately, but I've finally got this down. The next chapter will be very exciting, so please look forward to it. Until then, God bless.)


	11. A Trap Egg-ecuted

**Chapter 11: A Trap Egg-ecuted**

After Aurora and Waya stopped howling with Silver, they bid him good night and to each other, both feeling much better to hear from their friend and that everything was okay with them again. More importantly, he was going to come back after this mysterious enemy was caught and locked away.

Aurora lay in her green bed, her arms folded behind her head, and her eyes on the picture of Angel Island where Silver was right now.

"I think Angel Island is the best place to stay than G.U.N.," she said to herself. She guessed that the reason Shadow took Silver there was because G.U.N. didn't have to have to put up with someone who could've been a target of Eggman's...like Aurora. "Guess those uptight officers still blame me for their base getting torn up by Eggman."

She knew it wasn't her fault Eggman found her, but she did feel responsible for Omega getting badly damaged when he was trying to protect her. Thankfully, his damages were repaired quickly.

"Oh, well, who'd want to stay at G.U.N., anyway?" She sure didn't. Truth be told, she never liked staying over there. It was so gloomy and crowded, she felt trapped and depressed, except with Omega's friendly company, even for a robot.

"Thankfully, Silver has Knuckles to keep him company." She missed the red echidna and she sort of envied Silver a little to be on that island. Of course, she still loved Forgotten Peak. It had become like home to her already, especially with Waya and Silver... Then she remembered what Cream asked her about coming back to Knothole after finding and hiding all of the Chaos Emeralds.

"I do miss them all in Knothole, and all the stuff we did," she admitted quietly. She remembered when Sonic first found her, waking up in the fields outside of Knothole, and how scared she was when he carried her at full speed. He was just too fast for her, what could she say? Then on that same day, she met Tails, then after asking everyone in town if they knew anything about her arrival, she met Amy Rose who overreacted when she thought Sonic was dating Aurora who was in fact a human. When she thought about it, it was pretty funny, but thankfully, they all settled that matter peacefully.

Then she recalled when Sonic taught her how to run faster when they headed back to Tails's workshop at the end of the day, there she met Cream and Cheese, and received Amy's kind invitation to stay with her for the time being.

During that time, they spent days in the meadow, making flower crowns, going to beaches, having picnics in a spot in a woodland somewhere. And when Sonic would show her around the sights of Knothole and keep teaching her how to run, and Amy and Aurora swapping recipes, and letting her friends listen to her songs and showing them her pictures of her Earth, not the Earth they went to a while back.

It still puzzled them how she came from another Earth instead of the one they were familiar with, hey, it still puzzles them how she came to Mobius.

Then she remembered the last day of fun she had in Knothole with Sonic, where they ate at Sonic's Uncle Chuck's hot dog restaurant and then headed to a meadow of golden flowers, where Sonic accidentally discovered she was ticklish, much to her resentment.

She shivered in fear when she recalled what happened next: Eggman's drop in to kidnap Aurora who was kept safe thanks to Sonic who asked Tails to fly her to Angel Island to ask Knuckles to take care of her until they could find out what Eggman wanted with her.

Knuckles was a bit uneasy with having a guest, but Aurora persuaded him by promising to behave herself and help him around. Right there, they became fast friends, helping each other with chores, seeing the sights of the beautiful island, having good conversations at meal times.

Yes, both Knothole and Angel Island were great, but she kept going from place to place, thanks to Eggman, but at least she made more friends along the way and that was good.

"Of course, the time I go to a new place and find new friends is right after I leave old places and say good-bye to old friends," she told herself.

However, she knew that sooner or later, the Chaos Emeralds will be hidden and her friends will ask her again if she'd come back to Knothole, but truth be told...she really didn't feel like saying good-bye to this place again.

"I mean, I feel so attached to this place and what about Waya? I know he loves this place, too, and to ask him to live in a town like Knothole in an apartment with Amy, I just don't think he'd like that very much."

Waya has always been the outdoors kind of guy, so to make him adjust to a life in a city wouldn't be fair. And she didn't want to leave him here all by himself when he's been alone for so long.

"I just can't do that to him. I just can't." She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, not knowing what to tell the others when the time would come.

"...They would understand if I'd rather stay here, wouldn't they?" she asked herself, her voice muffled in the pillow. "I know I left them so suddenly when Eggman showed up, but..."

She remembered when Sonic spared her from saying yes or no to coming back, so she guessed he'd understand that she loved it here. He knew that she loved the mountains and that she was a nature girl at heart.

"Hopefully, he can get them to understand, too."

* * *

Sonic and Tails came back to the workshop where Tails was making sure his security satellite was still intact on the X-Tornado while Sonic sat against a wall with his hands behind his head and a leg over the other.

"Boy, that day at Forgotten Peak was fun," Tails said to break the silence as he kept inspecting his satellite. "It was great spending time with Aurora like old times."

"Yeah, and with Waya as our new companion," Sonic added with a nod.

"Waya sure did great helping Aurora let go of her shyness, getting her to sing and dance."

"Yep, wish we knew his secret," Sonic said with a wink. "Makes me wonder if he can get Knuckles and Shadow to do the same."

"I think Waya would have better luck with someone like Aurora than with Knuckles and Shadow," Tails disagreed with a grin, "I mean, Aurora's timid, but Shadow and Knuckles are just..."

"Too sour and serious to sing and dance?" Sonic joked.

"I was gonna say unfriendly, but I serious is one of the right words," Tails replied.

"Well, at least he got Aurora to come out of her shell," Sonic thought positively.

"Say, Sonic."

"Hmm?"

"When Cream asked if Aurora would come back to Knothole after everything settled down...she looked like she didn't know what to say."

"I know," he nodded, his expression a little serious. "That's because she really didn't know what to say. Tails, come on, you saw how connected she is to Forgotten Peak. She's been staying over there longer than here or on Angel Island, and she pretty much said it herself that she loves it there."

"...So you think she might like to stay there even when things are calmer?" Tails asked, circling his finger on the bottom of his dish on his jet.

"Well, yeah," he answered with a shrug, "but it's not like we can really force her to come back. She is an adult and it's not like she wouldn't like being close to us again... It's just that she feels like she belongs to that mountain than anywhere else."

"Well, it's not that I blame her for not wanting to leave a place that feels like home," Tails empathized, "I mean, that's like asking me to leave my workshop and live somewhere else when this place has been a good home to me for a long time."

"Exactly," Sonic replied, pointing a finger at him.

"But still, it was sudden to have her leave Knothole and..." Tails began to say, but then he railed off.

"I know, pal, I know..." Sonic sympathized. "...but think about another reason she might like to stay: Waya. He's been an outdoor guy most of his life. He's a true nature boy, that I can relate, but what will he do if Aurora decided to come back here? He'd be all alone and Aurora wouldn't like to do that to him. And she couldn't ask him to come live in a city. Knothole's a small town, yes, but it's not Forgotten Peak. So living in a different environment like that could really be hard for him."

He leaned back against the wall, looking at the ceiling. "No, I think for Waya's sake as well, she'd still like to stay in the mountains. Besides, it's not like we can't see her every now and then. And they can come visit us here, too. Once Eggman doesn't want her Aurora anymore, she can step foot off of that mountain safely and freely."

"Well, that would be good..." Tails agreed, though his face looked a little doubtful. "That is, _if _we can get Eggman to leave her alone."

Sonic knew his genius friend had a point. That mad scientist foe of theirs was always relentless and wouldn't give up a power source so easily, such as the Chaos Emeralds.

_And since Aurora has a very strong power that can work the emeralds, it'll be very difficult to make him forget about her... Right now, we just need to stop mysterious foe from destroying Silver, whoever this guy is._

* * *

On Angel Island that night, Silver flew above the floating giant piece of land, feeling light as air itself. After that talk with Aurora and Waya, hearing them forgiving him and expecting him to return soon, he never felt better. At first, he was afraid he'd lost his dear friends, but he was joyous to know that he didn't.

Finally, having a feeling it was getting late, he flew down to Knuckles's hut and stepped inside to see the red echidna at the dining table sipping a glass of water. He looked up from his drink to see the white hedgehog when he came in.

"Well, I was wondering when you were gonna come down," Knuckles spoke up. "How'd the phone call go?"

"It went great," Silver answered happily. He explained to him how they weren't mad at him and they hoped to have him come back soon.

"What'd I tell ya, kid?" Knuckles asked, leaning backwards on his chair. "I told ya she'd wanna talk to ya."

Silver nodded, and sat down at the other end of the table, looking at the com he was talking to Aurora and Waya with. "All that's left is to catch this guy Aurora believes wants to get rid of me," he said quietly.

"And you want to do this tomorrow, right?" Knuckles checked.

"Mm-hmm, I just need to attract their attention and when they come for me, you guys come in."

"Hopefully," Knuckles said, swirling the glass of water in his hand, "they will come out. By the way, you just missed Shadow, Rouge, and Omega. They just came by to drop another Chaos Emerald that they found in a gorge somewhere."

"Really? That's great!" Silver replied joyfully.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded in agreement. "We just need to find two more."

Silver was really thrilled with the news. Just two more Chaos Emeralds and then they'd have everything that they'd need to restore Mobius in his time.

Then Knuckles stood up and announced, "Well, better get some sleep. Gonna need all our strength to catch this guy tomorrow."

Silver nodded obediently and got ready for bed... Well, the couch, and bid Knuckles "good night" before he went into his bedroom. The white hedgehog looked out the window to see the mountain where he was having his previous conversation with his best friends.

He smiled again at how well it went between making up with his good friends and the latest emerald that'd been found and he looked at the ceiling, hoping tomorrow would go well, too...

* * *

Silver dreamt that night walking through in a shadowy field, no moon shining in the night sky and he wondered if it was the new moon already. More importantly, he wondered where he was as he kept walking.

"_Maybe I should just fly,_" he suggested and took his feet off the ground and flew in the air. He looked up at the sky again and he noticed that he stars were very few even though the sky was so vast and there were not city lights.

He was starting to feel uncomfortable in this creepy place and he hoped to find a way out. As he kept flying, a distressed cry almost stopped his heart when it rang in his ears. He looked down and saw there was someone below, looking like they were struggling. He immediately descended down and as he got closer, he looked with horror to see it was Aurora trapped in a net.

She looked at him, tears in her eyes when she reached her hand out of the net for him. "_Silver, please, help me!_" she pleaded.

"_Hang on, Aurora!_" he called, running up to her. "_Who did this?_" he asked as he was trying to untie the net.

"_I don't know. I just woke up and I found myself in this,_" she answered, sounding very scared.

"_Where's Waya?_" he questioned as he grunted to get her free.

"_I don't know what happened to him,_" she replied. Silver tried to untangle the net but to no avail.

He growled in frustration, not knowing what to do. He stopped a second to hear Aurora still sobbing and he held her hand firmly. "_It's going to be okay, Aurora_," he promised, "_I'll help you._"

Suddenly, what seemed like a lot of dark laughs startled him dearly and he saw shadowy forms rising from the ground in the shape of people, their eyes glowing red that stared at the two.

"_Who are you?_" Silver demanded, keeping Aurora close to him. "_Are you the ones who did this to her?_"

The voices chanted in eerie, cold voices that echoed their reply, "_You won't be able to save her. You are not strong enough._"

"_We'll see about that!_" he exclaimed, charging at the dark figures and punched one of them, only to see in shock that his fist went right through the figure's chest. He tried kicking it, but his feet didn't land a hit, either. "_What are you creatures supposed to be?_"

"_You can't save her_," they told him again. _"You're weak._" Then some of the figures jumped onto Aurora who screamed in terror as they began to cover her in their dark bodies.

"_Aurora!_" he shouted, running towards her and grabbed her hand tightly. He grunted as he tried to hold on, but her hand was starting slip from his grasp as the dark creatures pulled her from him.

"_Silver, please..._" she begged.

"_Hold on!_"

The darkness started crawling up to her shoulders and pulled her deeper in the shadows.

"_I'm...I'm not going to make it_," she said shockingly calmly and then her hand slipped and she was sucked into the darkness, lost from Silver's sight.

Silver's heart sank in dismay and horror and he landed on his knees and stared at the spot where Aurora had been taken from him. "_No, no..._" he murmured, shaking. A tear fell down from his eye and he shouted in the air. "_Aurora, come back!_"

* * *

Silver tossed in his comforter and with a gasp, he woke up and panted deeply. He looked around and with a sigh of relief, he saw he was back in Knuckles's living room and that it was just a nightmare.

He fell back in his pillow, his hand on his forehead. "That was so horrible," he whispered. He could still hear Aurora's cries for help and her eyes filled with fear and tears. This time, a real tear pricked at the corner of his eye. "I thought she was gone forever..."

With eyes wide with fear, he quickly got out of the couch and stepped outside and worked the borrowed com he still had on from yesterday. He knew it was just a nightmare, but he wanted to make sure they were all right. He knew they'd be up at this hour, so he figured he wouldn't disturb them...as long as they were there.

He dialed the number and as he waited for an answer, his heart was filled with so much anxiety, he could almost hear it thumping hard in his chest. Then, to put his heart at rest, he heard Aurora answering his call, "Hello?"

"Aurora," Silver replied, sounding very happy to hear her voice, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down so she wouldn't ask questions. "Uh, good morning."

"Good morning," she responded, though he could tell she was confused that he was calling like this. "I didn't expect a call from you so soon."

"Well, I just...wanted to make sure how you guys were," he explained, which was true.

"We're fine," she reassured. "We're just having breakfast before I start doing my exercises. How are you doing?" she asked, feeling a little suspicious.

"Oh, well, I just woke up," he answered, trying to find the truthful words to say. "Last night was kinda rough, but I'm fine." And hearing that his friends were all right, he felt even better.

"Glad to hear that," she replied. She was quiet for a moment until she asked carefully, "So what're your plans today?"

"Well, we're attempting to find my hunter today," he explained. "We're going to find a spot where I can be easily spotted, but hopefully with trees or boulders for Sonic and the others to hide behind so they can make a jump on him."

"And you think this enemy will come out today?" she queried.

"Maybe," he shrugged, "and if not, we'll try tomorrow or the next day. He's sure to show up to get me sooner or later."

Aurora was silent once again, and he knew she still had some mixed feelings about this idea of his. "I'll be okay, Aurora," he vowed gently. "I'll be okay."

"...I hope so," she said quietly.

Then Silver remembered what Knuckles told him last night and hoped that his would brighten her mood. "By the way, Shadow, Rouge, and Omega visited the island yesterday while we were talking. They gave Knuckles another emerald that they found in a gorge."

"I know, Shadow called last night to say he couldn't come train with me since they were digging it up. It's been a long time since the others found a new emerald. Now we just have two more to go."

"Yep," he nodded. Then he could hear footsteps from the hut and he knew Knuckles was up. "Hey, I've gotta go," he told Aurora, "but I'll be sure to call you when I get the chance, okay?"

"Okay," Aurora replied. Waya barked and she translated, "He says bye."

Silver chuckled and said, "Bye, Waya. Bye, Aurora."

"Bye, Silver...good luck," she told him sincerely.

"Thank you." He ended the call and then went straight back inside to see Knuckles in the kitchen.

"Well, there you are," Knuckles pronounced, turning his head to see the white hedgehog while he was getting breakfast ready. "I thought you were in the bathroom."

"Uh, no, I had to step out for a minute. I wanted to talk to Aurora and Waya and say good morning."

"Nothing wrong with that," Knuckles replied, setting two plates of sliced fruit and eggs for the two of them. "I hope you've slept well 'cause you know what today is."

Silver nodded as he sat down and ate his breakfast. He just wished he did sleep well... Or at least had a better dream.

"Oh, here, Knuckles, you can have your com back," Silver said, taking off the com and handing it to the echidna.

"Thanks. Although, before this day is over, Shadow should really get your com from Aurora's and bring it here to you," Knuckles told him, practically lecturing him again for leaving his communicator behind.

"Well, hopefully, I won't need it," Silver shrugged, even though he was right.

"Yeah, hopefully," he muttered, but he still wished the boy had his com, no matter what.

* * *

Later that morning, Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails took Silver to a wide open field with boulders not too far away and were big enough to keep his friends hidden. Tails used a cloaking device to make the X-Tornado invisible so no one could see it.

They agreed that Silver would fly in the air and move around some objects with his TK, such as logs that Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles found in a forest and a few boulders that weren't needed to use for hiding.

"If they notice flying logs and rocks, they'll sure to come to us," Tails proclaimed.

"'If'?" Knuckles echoed. "If they can't notice logs and rocks in the sky, then they're either blind or just plain stupid."

"Hopefully, they'll be looking around this area," Sonic put in.

"Now you know what to do if the enemy shows up, right?" Shadow reminded Silver.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, "I don't try anything on my own and we fight him together."

"Right," Sonic replied with an approving thumbs-up. "We don't try anything careless."

"Aren't careless heroics your thing, Sonic?" Knuckles quipped, making Sonic roll his eyes.

"Let's just hope everything goes well," Shadow told them. Silver stayed in the middle of the grass while his friends hid behind the boulders. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the logs and rocks and lifted them in the air, spinning them around into a circle.

It was ten minutes and nothing happened yet. Silver tried to be as conspicuous as possible by lifting the logs and rocks higher by using them to make strange symbols yet for another fifteen minutes nothing happened and Silver was starting to get tired.

"He's getting worn out," Tails observed after looking through his binoculars.

"Maybe we should take a break and try a new location," Sonic suggested.

"We might as well leave now," Knuckles shrugged.

Shadow nodded and called for the white hedgehog in the air. "Silver, stop! If they haven't shown themselves here, let's try somewhere else!"

Silver understood and gently put the logs and rocks down and floated himself down to the ground. They made decided to make their way to another open field that was close to a forest and Tails flew the X-Tornado with Knuckles riding in the pilot's seat with Shadow and Sonic riding outside and Silver flying next to them.

The young white Mobian looked down on the ground below him and he wondered where in the world this enemy was. Then, as they flew over a rocky plain, Silver noticed something among the rocks. No...someone. He narrowed his eyes until they grew wide when it seemed like his nightmare had come true.

It was Aurora trapped in a net just like he dreamt she was last night. "Guys, I see Aurora down there!"

"What?" Sonic asked, looking to see in shock that Silver was right when they all saw it was their human friend.

"No way!" Tails cried in dismay.

"How'd the heck did this...?!" Knuckles hollered.

"Tails, pull us down now," Shadow ordered directly.

Tails nodded and headed straight down with Silver ahead of them. When Tails landed the jet on the ground, Silver didn't wait for them to climb out and headed straight for her.

Shadow quickly hopped off of the X-Tornado and followed with Sonic close behind. As they got closer, he couldn't understand how this happened. Who found her at Forgotten Peak and why did they bring her here?

When he got a closer look, he saw Aurora looking up at them, but she didn't say anything to them and that made Shadow stop in confusion, halting Sonic with his arm extended out. "Hold on, something isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

When Silver was in front of her, he knelt down and to his surprise, she wasn't crying or begging for his assistance like she did in his nightmare. "Aurora, are you okay? Who did this?" Silver asked concernedly. She didn't answer him, she just looked at him. Silver put a hand on her head, but to his shock, it went right through her, shimmering her whole body along with the net.

When Tails came closer to the blue and black hedgehogs with Knuckles following him, he saw Aurora's body shimmering, too, and he realized what was going on. "That's not Aurora! That's a hologram!" he declared.

Then, the hologram of the girl disappeared and the ground rumbled when something moved out of the ground and they all saw that it was an Egg-droid that quickly shot a net at the white hedgehog and pulled him inside its chest, locking him inside.

"Hey, let him go!" Knuckles demanded, charging at the machine, but the droid jumped into the air, avoiding his wrath and with turbo jets coming out of its back, it flew away, far from their sights to who knows where with their white-furred friend.

"Silver!" Sonic called in the direction he was taken to.

Shadow watched, his eyes wide in disbelief at what'd just happened. "Eggman...set that trap up..." he spoke quietly. "He really was the one after Silver."

"But what will he do to him?" Sonic asked.

"Well, if he's a telekinetic, Eggman will try to use that for whatever plan he has," Tails theorized.

"Then we've got to find him now," Shadow affirmed with a clenched fist.

"How? That robot could be anywhere," Knuckles pointed out.

"Yeah, but I think I can use the radar in the X-Tornado to follow that droid's turbo trail," Tails thought up.

"Leave it to you, Tails," Sonic complimented.

"Wait a minute," Shadow halted. He immediately turned on his com and dialed a familiar number, wanting to make absolutely sure she was okay.

* * *

Aurora was writing more in her journal at her desk in the living room with Waya resting on the red sofa. As she wrote, she wondered why Silver had called like that. When she heard him, she sounded...relieved. As if he was really worried...

Suddenly, Aurora's com beeped and she thought at first it was Silver calling again. She turned it on and said, "Hello?"

To her surprise, it was Shadow's voice. "Aurora, where are you?" he asked rather frantically.

"I'm at home. Why?" she asked curiously. Waya got up from the couch and walked up next to her to hear what this was about.

Shadow sighed in relief which was familiar with Silver's behavior this morning, then there was a grave silence that put the two in suspense. "Aurora, we were working to put Silver's plan into action. We tried luring the enemy out at an open field, but it didn't work after several minutes, so we tried to find another location..."

"Yes?" she persisted calmly, though her heart was racing in anxiety.

"We flew above a rocky plain and when we looked down, we thought we saw someone trapped in a net, but it turns out...it was a hologram...that was being used to trap us..." There was another uncomfortable silence and to Aurora, when he spoke, it sounded like he was filled with so much regret. "It was an Egg-droid...and it captured Silver."

Aurora gasped in complete shock, covering her mouth. Waya's eyes were wide and he saw that Aurora's eyes were watering. "No..." she whispered, closing her eyes that brought out the tears. "No..."

_It was Eggman. _He _was the one after Silver this whole time and now...now he has him._

* * *

Silver struggled inside the robot that was carrying its telekinetic prisoner to wherever its master was expecting him. He tried pounding the robot open, but to no avail.

"Let me out, you stupid robot!" he demanded. Of course it ignored him, but his mind and heart were filled with fear about Aurora. Was she still at Forgotten Peak with Waya? Or did Eggman really have her? He remembered that those dark creatures from his nightmare told him he couldn't save her and now he was scared to death she was in Eggman's hands again. "Where's Aurora?! What have you done to her?!"

Suddenly, the inside of the robot filled with a fume that made Silver feel dizzy until his body relaxed and his head leaned against the robot's chest wall, and he lost all consciousness.


	12. Chip vs Emerald

**Chapter 12: Chip vs. Emerald**

Aurora was crying silently at her desk at the news of Silver's capture. Waya put his paws on her knees to pull himself up to her head. "_Aurora, calm down. Just take deep breaths._"

She obeyed and took steady breaths and wiped away her tears. Then she turned her attention back to Shadow and said, "Shadow, please, tell me you know how to find him."

"We do, Aurora, we do," he assured her calmly, "Tails says he's got a radar that can be used to follow the Egg-droid's jet's trail that should take us where Eggman's new hideout is."

"Leave it to Tails," she commented, sighing with relief.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Sonic agreed, shocking Aurora to hear he was there.

"But what will you guys do when you find the hideout?" she asked curiously.

"We tear the place apart until we find Silver," Knuckles answered, making cracking sounds which told Aurora she was cracking his knuckles.

"Hang on, guys..." she stopped. She was quiet for a moment when she thought of something. She knew they'd object, but she was able to save her friends before and she wanted to do it again. "I think I should come and help, too."

"What?" Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles cried in surprise.

"No way, Aurora," Shadow denied flat out. "What if he captures you, too? You know what he almost did to you."

"I know...but you all know what I did to stop him, remember?" she reminded them. "I'm just saying, if I use one of the Chaos Emerald that you guys found, I can use it to stop Eggman again."

"Aurora, the power of those emeralds drain your strength," Knuckles told her. "You can't put yourself in danger like that."

"I won't use it to get us into his headquarters. You guys get us in, we find Eggman, and then I use the emerald to take over from there."

"It's too risky, Aurora," Tails insisted. "We can't lose you, too, if things don't go well."

"We have to try, Tails. Shadow, Sonic, you two have seen my power with the emeralds. It's helped us in the past before and I believe it can help Silver, too."

"Aurora, it's too dangerous..." Shadow reasoned, but Sonic interrupted him.

"I think we should let Aurora try."

"What?" Shadow asked in shock.

"Her aura is strong with the Chaos Emeralds," Sonic explained, "She took down a giant Egg-droid and turned Waya's people into animals. Aurora has a powerful gift that can help us save Silver, especially when her desire to help her friends works the emeralds. Remember, the Chaos Emeralds focus on people's thoughts and feelings since both of hers are about caring and saving others, then that brings pure strength...and we may need that kind of strength to stop Eggman."

Everyone was silent for a moment. Aurora hoped Shadow would reconsider and let her join their rescue party. She knew he'd always feared for her safety, but he should know how strong her aura is. "Please, Shadow, let me help," she implored. "Silver's life is on the line... I had that nightmare about him...and he begged for my help. Please, Shadow."

Shadow thought for a moment. She dreams were accurate so far...and if Silver really needed her help, then there was no choice. He sighed deeply in defeat and announced, "Okay, you can come with."

Aurora sighed in relief and said, "Thank you, Shadow."

"But on one condition," he told her firmly, "You don't use the emerald before the time is right, understand?"

"Yes, sir," she replied obediently.

"Good. Sonic and I will come pick you up and Tails will take Knuckles to Angel Island so he can get one of the emeralds Then we'll meet back here to follow that robot's trail."

"Okay," she nodded in understanding. "I'll get ready." Once the call was over, Aurora put away her glasses with a battle look on her face. "Silver needs me, Waya..." she told her wolf friend with such a serious tone, "and the only way to save him is to use my aura."

She went straight upstairs to get something out of her bedroom, a first-aid kit. She didn't know for sure if they'd get out without a scratch, but better safe than sorry.

Waya came up and without warning, he put his head on hers and said, "_Aurora, I want to go with you._"

"Waya, I know you're worried about Silver, too," she sympathized, rubbing his head, "but what will you do when we get there?"

"_Hey, I know I'm not human anymore, but...but I don't want to sit here while my friends are fighting a madman. You saved me from my insane people. Let me help you save Silver. He's my friend, too, and I'm just as concerned as you are._"

"But, Waya," she began protested, putting both hands on his head, but he interrupted her.

"_Hey, I'm a fast healer, remember?_" he reminded her. "_And you know for yourself how tough enough I am to walk away alive._" It was true. Once when Waya was being chased by his crazy people to get the red emerald from him, he was cornered at a cliff and had no choice but to jump into a river, receiving a lot of injuries, very fortunate that he survived. And the time he lived through a cave-in when he bought Aurora and Shadow enough time to use the emerald to teleport away safely.

Aurora looked at the floor, not sure at first, but... "Okay, Waya, but you're gonna have to convince Shadow, too. He already dislikes me coming along on a dangerous mission, so getting him to let you tag along won't be easy."

"_I know, but can you blame a wolf for trying?_"

"No, but don't think being a wolf can persuade everyone to grant your wishes."

"_Hey, just 'cause I'm on top of the food chain, doesn't mean I'd use it to my advantage like that...especially to guys as strong as Shadow_."

Aurora grinned, though she hoped Shadow would let him go... Although, a part of her, for his sake, kind of hoped he'd say no. Eggman wouldn't care about him even if he knew he used to be a boy or not. He'd get rid of Waya without another thought if he attempted to get in the way...

* * *

Back on Angel Island, Tails was waiting in the X-Tornado for Knuckles to return with a Chaos Emerald that Aurora could use to stop Eggman and after what felt like forever, the red echidna finally showed up with a green emerald in his hands.

He quickly hopped aboard the jet in the back seat, announcing, "Okay, I've got it, now let's get flyin'."

"Right," Tails nodded, getting themselves in the air, headed straight for the spot Silver was captured.

Knuckles stared at the green gem and sighed. "I'm still against Aurora coming with us to fight Eggman."

"Well, to be honest, I'm against it, too," Tails agreed, "bringing her to Eggman's location that is. But if she's really that powerful with the Chaos Emerald, why shouldn't we let her try?"

"Because, even though it's good to have positive thoughts and feelings to work an emerald, she still gets weak afterwards."

"Only if she uses it for too long," Tails pointed out. "We just need to wait until we find Silver, then we let her use it."

Knuckles shook his head, still disliking this idea...but he did hope that she could do this for Silver's sake...and get out without much harm. He could still remember the first time when she used the yellow emerald and came out with such terrible injuries. Thankfully, Shadow knew people in a hidden village with magical healing abilities that saved her.

If something like that happened to her again, they could still go to Healing Brook... Hopefully, that wouldn't be necessary...

* * *

Aurora and Waya stepped outside with the first-aid kit in her hand and no sooner did Sonic and Shadow show up.

"Ready to go?" Shadow asked, skipping the formalities.

Aurora nodded, then cleared her throat. "And...Waya is ready to go, too," she pronounced hesitantly.

"To go where?" Shadow asked.

"I think she means he's ready go come with us to find Silver," Sonic answered.

"Hey, we already agreed that you can come," Shadow told Aurora, "We can't take anyone else. Besides, no to call Waya weak and defenseless, but how can he help?"

Waya tapped Aurora's leg for her to bend down and put his head on hers. She stood up and said, "He says, 'In whatever way I can'."

"That's not very convincing," Shadow replied, his arms folded, giving the wolf a stern look.

Waya beckoned Aurora to bend down to touch her head again. "He says, 'I know I'm just a wolf now...but I don't want to wait here while Aurora and Silver are in danger. Please let me go.'"

Shadow looked at the white wolf and he could see for himself that pleading in his eyes that begged him to let him come with. Shadow didn't know what to say until Sonic spoke up.

"I say we let him come. If he's really worried about Silver as well as Aurora is, why should we stop him from coming?" he asked with a shrug. "Hey, if it was Rouge and Omega that were in danger, wouldn't you want to go find them, too?"

Shadow was quiet for a moment. Ever since he lost Maria and Molly, he felt alone and empty, but having Rouge and Omega, his teammates as well as his closest friends, he didn't feel that way anymore. That'd become near and dear to him...and he would've gone to the ends of the world to be there if they needed help.

The black hedgehog groaned and shook his head, then said in exasperation, "All right, he can come, too." Aurora and Waya smiled at each other and gave each other a five. "But stay close to us at all times," Shadow ordered. Waya nodded, giving him a salute.

With that said and done, Shadow carried Aurora in his arms and Sonic had to carry Waya since the white wolf couldn't run very fast. As the hedgehogs sped down the mountain to the meeting place, Aurora clung on to Shadow, forgetting how incredibly terrifying both of their speeds were. Curious, she looked to see Waya who was riding on Sonic's back and he seemed to enjoy the ride.

Aurora looked with an amazed yet envious smirk at how he was liking this adrenaline a lot better than she did.

_Well, if he likes excitement...then he'll love facing Eggman..._

After several miles, the four could see a jet and Aurora knew it was the X-Tornado and there waited Tails and Knuckles who looked to see Shadow and Sonic returning.

Shadow put Aurora down and she smiled at Knuckles whom she hadn't seen in a while. "Hi, Knux," she greeted with a wave. "It's great seein' ya, but I sure wish it was under better circumstances."

"Same here," Knuckles agreed, though he gave her a five. He pulled out the green Chaos Emerald and handed it to her. She nodded a thank-you and stuffed it in her pocket. Then he looked behind her to see Waya next to Sonic. "Uh, are my eyes deceiving me or do I see Waya?"

"You know any other white wolves who'd be with us?" Sonic joked with a shrug. Waya motioned his head in agreement, coming next to Aurora, waving a paw at Knuckles.

"Let me guess: He wanted to come, too?" Knuckles queried with folded arms, raising a questioning eyebrow at Shadow.

Shadow sighed and said, "Well, he's worried about Silver, too."

"And he wouldn't take no for an answer," Sonic put in, remembering how relentless he is when it comes to his friends.

"He'll be okay," Aurora reassured, rubbing Waya's furry neck, "As long as he stays with us at all times."

"With that settled, let's get this show on the road," Sonic enunciated. "We've got a Eggman plan to scramble."

* * *

Silver moaned, finally starting to wake up, his eyes squinting, from a light that was above him and when he tried to move his arms, he looked to see they were strapped to a chair along with his legs. He struggled to get free, but to no luck. He stopped to think what'd happened before things blacked out before and he remembered his being captured by an Egg-droid.

He knew he was in Eggman's hideout. "Where are you, Dr. Eggman?" Silver called. "I know you're here."

A door opened in front of him and he saw the doctor stepping inside the room. "Well, glad to see you're awake," he said, his hands wrapped together. He walked around the hedgehog and went on, "I'm so glad you've heard so much about me. I've been watching you hanging with Sonic and his friends and I saw what you can do with your telekinesis and that peaked my interest to a brilliant idea and I just had to bring you here. I would've sent an invitation, but I think an escort was better."

Yeah, 'cause being trapped in a net riding inside a robot is so much better.

Silver thought rolling his eyes, but then he remembered Aurora.

"Where is Aurora?" he demanded. "If she's here and you hurt her again..."

"First of all, if you're that worried about Miss Aurora, you'll be to know she's not here, sadly," he assured, which made Silver sigh in relief. "Second of all, who says I hurt her before?"

"Aurora did. You almost got Aurora killed taking away her energy."

"Is that what she said?" Eggman asked, sounding offended. "No, I do believe she has me all wrong. You see, the tube only would've made her weak, not hurt. I didn't want to harm her. In fact, the only thing that harmed her the last time we met was when she broke out of that tube. Besides, I did give her a choice to help me in my plans and then in return, I'd take her back to her world."

Silver remembered Aurora saying Eggman would take her home, but she knew he was lying. He had no interest in helping her, only in helping himself and using others to do it, so Silver didn't buy his story at all.

"Say, if you know Aurora so well, mind if I ask where she might be?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," he answered directly, "because you are not going near her ever again."

"Oh, but please, listen to reason," he pleaded, but Silver interrupted.

"Listen to reason?" he asked in disbelief. "I'm strapped to a chair and you expect me to listen to reason by telling you where Aurora is? So you can use her energy to power up another machine? I don't think so."

"Boy, aren't you protective?" Eggman commented. "Very well, then. Besides, if I can't have that girl's energy, I'll just settle with your telekinesis. I mean, that is what I've made this for."

A part in the ceiling opened and a metal arm lowered itself down with some sort of little device it was holding. When it came to Silver's face, the arm pressed the device on his forehead.

"Hey, what is this thing?" he demanded.

"It's a microchip mind-control device," the mad doctor explained. "I think the name should tell you what it can do. With you as my weapon, I can use your telekinesis to my advantage." He pulled out a remote and with an evil grin, he announced, "Now let's get the fun started."

When he turned on the switch, a spark came from the microchip and made Silver cry in pain until when the spark stopped, his head lowered.

"Silver," Eggman said, making Silver sit up right at the sound of his name, "time to go out and collect some Chaos Emeralds."

* * *

Tails used the radar to follow the kidnapping Egg-droid's jet's trail in the sky in the south. On the way, Aurora who was sitting in the passenger's seat with Waya, seeing there was no way he could ride on the jet like Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles, felt very nervous. Not for herself, but for Silver.

She was afraid that maybe he'd draw out his TK, so he can maybe send it into a robot or something. Waya sensed her anxiety and put his head on hers. "_Hey, we'll find him_," he assured.

"But what if we're too late?" she whispered, not wanting the others to hear her.

"_Hey, Sonic and the others never failed to save someone, remember? We'll get to him on time._"

It was true because when Aurora was in danger, Sonic and Shadow got to her on time. She just hoped they all can be so lucky this time.

"Okay," Shadow announced, standing next to Aurora on one side, "let's go over the plan again. When do you use the Chaos Emerald, Aurora?"

"Until the time is absolutely right," Aurora answered.

Shadow nodded in approval. "Good. And, Waya, what do you do while we're in there?"

Waya put his head on Aurora's and she translated, "'Stay close to you guys at all times.'"

"Right," Shadow nodded. "We'll do most of the work: Taking down Egg-bots and finding Silver."

"Which is going to be hard since he doesn't have his communicator," Tails pointed out.

Shadow grunted in frustration, squeezing his fist and silently scolded himself for not coming to Aurora's last night to get the white hedgehog's com.

Aurora then remembered wanting to bring Silver's com and had it strapped on Waya's leg. She knew he couldn't use it, but should he get lost, Tails could track the com's signal and... Then it hit her. Tracking!

"Hey, I know how we can find Silver!" Aurora declared, resting a hand on Waya's head. "Waya can help us. Remember, he has a very good sense of smell and he should know Silver's scent very well."

Waya's eyes widened when he realized she had a good point and nodded at her.

"Oh, yeah, you're right," Sonic agreed, with a thumbs-up, "With his highly-developed sense of smell, we're sure to find Silver wherever he is in Eggman's base."

"I guess letting him come wasn't a bad idea, after all," Shadow grinned.

Aurora was glad that they had Waya to be the tracker, but there was still the matter of facing Eggman...

After a suspenseful hour or two of riding in the sky that was growing dark from the near sunset, they could see something on the horizon.

"There it is!" Tails called, pointing to a large dark cave a few miles away from them. "The jet's trail leads right in there."

"A cave?" Sonic queried. "First a canyon and now a cave?"

"Eggman would be the kind of guy who'd hide underneath rocks," Knuckles remarked.

"Tails, land the X-Tornado somewhere not too close to the cave. We wouldn't want to be detected," Sonic advised.

"Roger," Tails replied, landing the jet several aways from the gloomy cave that hid the mad scientist and quite possibly his dangerous robot guard. Everyone hopped off of the jet and quietly crept up to the cavern.

The cold air coming from the wide open cave's mouth made Aurora shiver. This place would make a person think there was a monster waiting inside. Actually, caves reminded her of how Waya's former leader who went insane years ago and nearly had Waya killed in that cave-in after she changed him into a raptor and Waya into a wolf. She was thankful Waya survived and she hoped Silver would be okay, too... She just hoped that if and when she'd have to use the emerald, she wouldn't accidentally curse Silver like she felt she did to Waya.

"Well, should we give Eggman a knock?" Sonic suggested.

"Unless there's another entrance?" Knuckles put in.

"I don't think there are," Shadow doubted, walking up to the mouth. "Let's go. Aurora, Waya, stay close," he reminded them firmly.

"Yes, sir," Aurora replied obediently.

"Bet you wish Rouge would be as good of a listener, huh?" Knuckles joked as they followed the black hedgehog.

"You'd probably win that bet," Shadow mumbled. They stepped inside the unsettling darkness, trying to find a door.

"How are we supposed to see in here?" Knuckles muttered, feeling blind. "Now I wish that batty Rouge was here. At least with her sonar, she could of some help."

Waya sniffed the air, trying to detect a person coming through this cave to some door, then he found something and poked at Aurora's leg.

"What is it, Waya?" she asked, bending down to him.

"_I think I can smell a person's scent in here. It's not Silver's, but it's definitely someone who's been here frequently_."

"What's he saying, Aurora?" Sonic asked.

"He says he's found a person's scent," she replied, standing up, "and I think it's Eggman's."

Waya sniffed the floor again, following the doctor's scent. "Let's see where he leads us," Aurora said. She took off her jacket, and tied it backwards on her waist, the sleeves on her lower back. "Tails, Knuckles, you each take one sleeve and Shadow and Sonic and I can hold hands. That way we won't get lost."

"Good idea, Aurora," Tails commented, taking her sleeve and Knuckles taking the other.

"Thanks," Aurora replied, taking the hedgehogs' hands and following Waya, whose white fur thankfully stood out of the black room of the cave. Then the wolf came to a halt and tabbed on something that made a clink sound from the touch of his claw. "I think he's found something," she told them.

They leg go of her hands and sleeves and they could make out the light round thing in front of Waya. Sonic knocked on it himself, making a louder clinking sound. "Yep, it's metal, all right," he stated.

"Looks like we've found our entrance," Knuckles pronounced, standing up and cracking his knuckles. "Now what do we say we open it up?"

"Since there's no other entrance, go ahead," Shadow replied. Everyone stood back and let the red echidna at work, punching the metal door open almost as if it were made of paper. Waya's ears flattened in amazement and he was glad to be on Knuckles's side, too.

"All right, now let's pay Dr. Eggman a visit," Sonic said, jumping head first down. Tails offered to fly Waya down there, trying his best to hold on to him.

"Think you got him, Tails?" Knuckles asked, seeing the fox's strain.

"I think so," he grunted. "I'm just glad he's not a bear."

Aurora grinned, though she felt sorry for Tails and Waya, who seemed a little nervous, but he did a lot better than he was riding in the X-Tornado when he looked fidgety. He wasn't used to riding machines, much less work them like her iPod or Silver's com that he was still wearing on his leg.

Shadow reached his arms for Aurora and picked her up bridal style and jumped down with them, Knuckles not too far behind.

Aurora stood next to Waya who was giving Tails an apologetic look at Tails who was flexing his tired arms after carrying him down here. She put a hand on the wolf and told the fox, "I think Waya's sorry you had a hard time bringing him all the way down here."

"It's okay," he reassured. "I'm not usually the muscle, anyway. Being the brains and all."

Waya grinned, then perked his head up and sniffed the air. His eyes opened wide and tail pointed upwards and put his head on Aurora's. "_I've got Silver's scent and it's not far_."

"What'd he say?" Shadow asked her.

"He says Silver's nearby," she answered. Waya led the air with Aurora following next to him and the others not too far behind.

"Hmm..." Shadow hummed in thought.

"What's up?" Sonic asked.

"Don't you think this is a little too easy?" Shadow queried quietly. "Knuckles just broke the door down and we're running through the halls without hearing alarms or running into robots at all."

Sonic thought for a moment and he knew Shadow had a point. "You're right. I wonder what's going on with Eggman's security." He guessed that maybe Eggman doesn't think anyone would venture into a cave. Still, this did seem kind of careless, even for the mad doctor...

Then Waya stopped at a door in front of him, tabbing it with his paw.

"In there?" Aurora asked quietly. Waya nodded.

"Stand back," Knuckles told the two. They got out of his way and let Knuckles punch the door open. "Jeez, not that I'm complaining, but I would think Eggman would have stronger doors than this," he observed.

"Yes," Shadow agreed softly, "and so would we." He motioned for Aurora and Waya to stand behind them as they all headed inside the large, cold metal room. They were confused to see how empty it was. They couldn't see Eggman or Silver.

"Waya, are you sure Silver's in here?" Aurora whispered.

"_Yes, I'm sure_," he affirmed. "_His smell is strongest in this room._"

"What'd he say?" Tails asked softly.

"He said Silver's scent is strong in this room, so he should be here," she replied.

"But we can't even see..." Sonic started to say, then suddenly, a light on the ceiling turned on and they all looked up to see a certain white hedgehog high above them, glowing in bluish green to keep himself in the air.

"Silver!" Aurora cried happily. She couldn't believe her eyes. She'd missed him and was overjoyed to see him. Waya barked excitedly, wagging his tail at the sight of their good telekinetic friend.

"Great see to see ya, buddy," Sonic said with thumbs-up.

"Yeah, kid, how'd you get free?" Knuckles asked curiously since he wasn't tied up or behind bars or anything.

However, Silver just stared intensely at them, not saying anything and it kind of scared Aurora to see that kind of grim expression he was wearing. Usually, Shadow would look a bit intimidating, but not like _that_.

Even the black hedgehog could see something wasn't right about the boy. "Silver...are you okay?" Shadow queried carefully.

Then another light lit up at the back of the room and they looked to see someone behind a glass window: Eggman!

"Well, well, well, Sonic and friends," Eggman said with an evil grin. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"Show up?" Sonic echoed. "You mean you were expecting us?"

"Well, of course," he replied simply, "What else would you do after seeing a friend of yours being taken by one of my Egg-droids?"

They all stared in shock. That was why no alarms or robots guards caught them. He anticipated them to form a rescue party and let them come in here so easily, so he could trap them.

"However, what I didn't expect was that you'd bring Aurora here, as well," Eggman pointed out seeing the red-haired girl. "Hello, my dear. Long time, no see."

"Not long enough," she snapped.

"Oh, now that's cold," he said, feeling hurt.

Waya growled when he saw the doctor whom he'd heard from Aurora, how'd this man had nearly gotten Aurora killed taking away her energy. Now he'd taken another friend of his prisoner.

"And I see you've got a pet wolf now?" Eggman questioned at the sight him.

That did it. Waya hated it when someone would think of him as a pet. He was about to charge at him even though he was behind a window, but Aurora held him back. "Waya, don't," she implored, quietly, "We don't know what he'll do."

Waya took deep breaths to calm himself until his fur flattened.

"I see you've tamed him," Eggman observed, "Impressive."

"He's always been tamed, for your information, doctor," she told him, matter-o-factly, "even before we met. And he's my friend, not my pet." Though, she wasn't going to tell him about Waya's history starting out as a human boy. The wolf looked at her with gratitude for standing up for him.

"A wolf for a friend?" he asked. "How interesting."

"And I'm sure you found a hedgehog with telekinesis just as interesting," Aurora rebuked, pointing to Silver who was still in the air staring at them and doing nothing. "What did you do to him?"

"Well, if you must know, it's a little microchip I've implanted him with," he explained. "You see, I've sent my spy-bots to see what you all have been doing since our last battle and I noticed your new telekinetic friend and of course, it gave me ideas..."

"What a shock," Knuckles muttered under his breath.

"But then you all started to get all paranoid by damaging my spy-bot's signals in Knothole, G.U.N., and even on the X-Tornado," the doctor continued, "I mean, really, all of you?"

"He calls it paranoia, we call it safety-wise," Tails whispered, making Sonic nod in agreement.

"But I knew my Egg-droids' signals wouldn't get damaged, so I sent them scattered across between Knothole and G.U.N. and Angel Island and I wondered if Silver had befriended Miss Aurora here, so I programmed them with holographic projectors that would show images of her being trapped in a net."

Aurora's eyes widened when he said this. _He used me image as a trap? And he got caught because he...? _

"And load and behold, in a rocky terrain, he finally saw one image of her and immediately came to 'rescue her'," he continued, using air quotes, "and like a fly, he fell into my little spider web and was brought here."

Aurora looked up at Silver again and narrowed her eyes to see the little dot glowing on the middle of his forehead. If the microchip is making him look so gravely scary, then...?

"And when he came here, you forced a mind-control chip on him!" Aurora concluded when she realized what was wrong with her white hedgehog friend.

"Aw, I was gonna say that," Eggman complained mockingly. "That's right, a mind-control device that can make him here obey all of my commands. Now I was going to use him to help me find the Chaos Emeralds, but since I've been expecting you... Silver." The boy turned his head sharply to the doctor. "Get rid of Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Knuckles, and the wolf there, but bring the girl to me."

No sooner than a second did Silver zoom down and started attacking his fellow hedgehogs who dodged his blows.

"Silver, wait!" Sonic pleaded, but Silver ignored him as he tried to hit him, but missed.

"Silver, please, don't!" Aurora begged. Waya barked pleadingly as well, but Silver didn't respond as he kept attacking Sonic and Shadow.

"Don't bother reasoning with him," Shadow told them all. "As long as he has that microchip on him, he can't hear us!"

"Then let's take that microchip apart!" Knuckles declared, "We pin him down and pull it off!"

"Hold it," Tails objected, "If we just take it off like that, it might damage his brain. We got to make the microchip release its hold on his head."

"You think you can turn it off, Tails?" Aurora asked, a hand on his shoulder.

"If we hold him down, I could," Tails affirmed.

"Then we need to grab him," Shadow stated. Silver flew straight for him, but Shadow moved to the side. Silver glared at them all and used his telekinesis to trap Shadow and Sonic in a bluish green light. They struggled from his mental grip, but to no use and he lifted him up in the air.

"Silver, put them down," Knuckles ordered. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

Silver looked at the red echidna and sent the hedgehogs toward him, knocking and rolling him over. All three strong Mobians hit the wall, stunned from the impact.

"Well, that was easier than expected," Eggman remarked, feeling quite pleased. "Now, Silver, fetch me the girl now. The fox and the wolf won't be much of a problem."

The white hedgehog looked at the three and floated slowly towards them. Tails didn't know what to do. He wasn't strong enough to hold him down or to keep him from getting Aurora. He looked at Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles and felt helpless, wondering desperately what to do.

Aurora also looked at her echidna and two hedgehog friends and at Silver and she knew now was the perfect time. "There's only one option, Tails," she told him. She was starting to pull out the emerald until a bluish green light picked her up from the floor and carried her from Tails and Waya and into Silver's tight grasp.

"Silver, no!" she yelled, struggling from his hold on her. "Don't do this! This isn't you. You'd never try to hurt anybody you cared about. Don't let some stupid chip change that."

She looked to see Silver and noticed him blinking and looking like for a second that he was remembering her, but he seemed to blink that away, not loosening his grip on her.

With no other choice, Tails flew up and charged at Silver, but the white Mobian used one day to stop Tails in the air, locking him a bluish green light. Waya then had an idea. He knew he needed one hand on Aurora and he couldn't use both hands and keep Aurora captive at the same time. So he ran up to the hedgehog and jumped with all his might and grabbed him by the leg with his mouth, pulling him down.

Silver grunted with pain and let go of Aurora, making her fall, but released Tails who immediately flew down to catch Aurora on time before she hit the floor.

"Thanks," she nodded with a smile.

"I think most of the credit goes to Waya," Tails replied, seeing the wolf bring Silver to the ground. He then jumped on top of Silver, pinning him down hard. He struggled from Waya's grip, trying to get free. Waya barked at Tails and Aurora to help him while he still had him down.

They nodded and ran up to the white boys, Aurora helping Waya keep Silver down while Tails got to work on removing the chip. "I should be able to make it lose its grip on him," Tails said as he worked on him with a screwdriver. "Come on... Come on..." Then the light on the chip went out and Silver's head hung. "Yes!" Tails cried triumphantly. Sadly, the chip's light lit up again and Silver stood up, pushing the three off of him.

"Please, Tails, that chip of mine is stuck on him no matter what unless I take it off," Eggman explained. "Now, Silver, this time, dispose of Tails and the wolf pet and bring Miss Aurora to me."

Silver obeyed his command and used his TK to push Tails and Waya away from Aurora who stared at horror at first until she remembered the emerald and wasted no time to pull it out.

"What? You've brought an emerald?" Eggman asked in surprised, then smiled creepily. "Well, first I get a servant with telekinesis and now I've got your energy and the emerald to help enhance it again. So far, this has been a very good day."

"Don't bet on it, doc," Aurora told him loud and clear. She closed her eyes and with the desire to save Silver from the chip's hold on him, she felt her body lighter and stronger, her feet coming off the ground and eyes glowing bright white. The power of the Chaos Emerald was coursing through her veins again now.

"Oh, no," Eggman groaned, slapping his head. "I forgot you could do that."

"Silver," Aurora said to him in an echoing voice, "listen to me, please. That chip does not tell you what you are and what you're supposed to do. You are your own person and no one else's. No one makes decisions for you but you. Now please hold still and let me help you."

Aurora started floating towards him, but Silver flew above her and tried to his TK on her, but it didn't work at all. She flew up to him and tried to make a grab for him, but he avoided her reach.

This time, he came at her to make a hit, but Aurora easily dodged and she wrapped an arm around him. He tried to make her let go, but she wasn't going to release him no matter what. He started flying upwards to the ceiling that made the doctor look in terror.

"No! I can't an impact from the ceiling hurt two valuable subjects," Eggman proclaimed, opening an escape valve, letting the two fly into the sky. "But of course, I just set them free," he mumbled, rubbing his temples as if he was getting a headache. "Suddenly, this isn't a good day."

"And it's about to get worse!" Knuckles shouted. Eggman looked and saw that the boys all recovered from the impact from Silver.

"Oh, no," Eggman said, standing back from the window, knowing he was in for it now.

"Oh, yes," Sonic disagreed with a grin. Now it was personal and Eggman fleed the scene.

"Sonic, you, Knuckles, and Waya deal with him," Shadow instructed. "Tails and I are taking the X-Tornado to find Silver and Aurora in the air."

"Gotcha," Sonic replied with a thumbs-up, starting to go after him with Knuckles following him. Waya looked at Shadow in denial, but the black hedgehog told him firmly, "It's not a request, Waya. They can use your sense of smell to look for him. I know you're worried about Aurora and Silver, but let us help them."

Waya looked at the ground and nodded in defeat. Actually, he wanted that madman caught and locked away in prison so he'd never get his hands on his friends ever again, so he didn't waste a second longer and joined Sonic and Knuckles on the chase.

"Come on, Tails, we've got to catch up to those two," Shadow directed, looking at the ceiling they came out of.

* * *

In the sky that already grew dark after the sunset, Silver took Aurora high up in the starry evening, trying to make her let go of him, but it didn't work.

Aurora kept his hold on him, with one hand around him, and used one hand to slowly reach for his forehead where the chip was implanted, like a robotic tick, and felt the horrible little thing.

Silver suddenly stopped in the middle of the air at her touch and freed an arm, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Ow!" Aurora cried when he was crushing her hand, loosening her grip on him. Then Silver grabbed both of her arms and had her prisoner again and started to fly back down to take her back to Eggman's base.

"Silver, please, listen," she begged softly, "I'm your friend. Waya is your friend. Sonic, Shadow, Tails, and Knuckles are your friends. You came to us from the future to ask for our help. We agreed to find all of the Chaos Emeralds so we can use them to save your world. That's what you've always wanted, to bring peace and happiness to everyone in your time. That's what you and Blaze have been working so hard to achieve and that's why she took the risk of sending herself into another dimension...because she had to do what was right."

Then Silver stopped flying and stood still. "Blaze..." he whispered.

"Yes, Blaze," she nodded, happy to see she was getting him. "She's your friend. Your partner in justice. ...Please don't let that chip make you forget about her or what she did... Or what she'd want you to do."

Silver looked spaced-out as he remembered what Blaze wanted him. To keep fighting on...even though she wasn't going to do it with him. He shedded a tear and his grip loosened, and no sooner did she reach her hand to his forehead, touching the chip, using the emerald's power to turn the thing off and making its light go out and let go of his head.

Silver gasped and panted as if he'd come out of water to breathe. He looked in total confusion at where he was and even more confusion when he saw Aurora in his hold. He let go of her and saw what'd happened to her when he noticed the green emerald in her hand.

Aurora smiled at him, happy to see him free at last. "Hey, Silver," she greeted, her echoing voice sounding like a bell in his ears.

"Aurora, I can't believe... You came all the way here to save me?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, "Waya, too. We came as soon as we heard Eggman kidnapped ya."

Silver looked at her in amazement and didn't know what to say, but found himself in her embrace. "I'm so glad to see you, Silver," she murmured.

The white hedgehog shook, tears coming out of his eyes and hugged her tightly. "Mm-hmm...I'm glad to see you, too," he cried quietly. "I...I wish I'd listened to you earlier. This was a bad idea from the beginning. And had I listened to you or not fallen for Eggman's trap...you wouldn't have to be here. I'm so sorry."

"Shh...Silver," she hushed gently, brushing his long quills like she was comforting her own son after having a nightmare. "It's okay, Silver. What matters is you're safe again."

Silver kept shedding tears, still feeling guilty for dragging his best friends into this mess... Then he remembered something. "Hey, what about Waya and the others?" he asked, pulling himself from her. "Where are they?"

Aurora's eyes widened and announced, "They must be fighting Eggman." She took his hand and led the way down. "Come on."

As they headed down, they came across the X-Tornado with Tails flying and Shadow riding outside the jet. "Guys!" Aurora waved to them, flying towards them. "Good news: Silver's not under Eggman's command anymore."

"Really?" Tails asked in wild happiness. "That's great!"

Shadow nodded in relief, happy to see the white hedgehog free again.

"What about Waya, Sonic, and Knuckles?" Silver asked worriedly, skipping the joy.

"They stayed behind to find Eggman," Shadow answered.

"Then let's go help them," Aurora said.

"Right," Shadow nodded, then motioned his hand to the passenger's seat, "but sit here and then let me have the Chaos Emerald. You've used it long enough."

"Right," she replied. She would've liked to help out some more, but she did use the gem long enough. She floated to the passenger's chair and once she was safely seated, she handed Shadow the green emerald.

As the gem's power left her body, she felt exhausted and leaned back in her chair.

"Aurora," Silver called, floating up to her. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded, barely opening her eyes to him. "I'm just very tired." She slowly turned her head to Shadow and added, "Like the last time."

Shadow grinned, grateful she was only tired than hurt. He stroked her hair and said gently, "Just relax, then. We'll help the others and we'll be out of here soon."

Aurora smiled at that and fell into unconsciousness, making Silver look in worry.

"It's okay, Silver," Shadow reassured him. "She'll be okay when she wakes up. She just needs to rest." Shadow fastened her seat belt for her and told Tails, "Let's go back and get the others. They might even catch Eggman... Although, I may be thinking more positive than realistic than I usually do."

"Hey, nothing wrong with being positive," Tails remarked, taking the X-Tornado down. Silver stayed next to Aurora. Although he was happy she was going to be fine, he wished he had heeded her warning not to use himself as bait because he ended up falling for bait himself. He didn't blame Aurora at all, but he did blame himself for practically bringing her to Eggman who could've used her for his machines again...

Then again, had she not come, he'd still be under the control of Eggman, wearing that microchip if it wasn't for her... Otherwise, he'd be forgetting to keep fighting...for Blaze and his world. He grinned at his red-haired friend for reminding him of his responsibilities and saving his life, stroking her hair which made her smile blissfully.

When the jet landed, Shadow jumped off of the jet. "Tails, you stay here with Aurora. Silver, you're with me."

Silver nodded and followed after the black hedgehog, now wanting to keep Waya safe, too.

* * *

Waya led Sonic and Knuckles as he sniffed Eggman out and they all stopped to find themselves in another large room. He tabbed his paw on the ground, telling them the doctor was in here somewhere.

"Come on out, Eggman," Knuckles called, punching his fist into his palm, "and make it easy on yourself for once."

"Now where's the fun in making things easy?" Eggman queried. They looked to see Eggman floating above them in his floating saucer. "I prefer making things challenging." He pressed a button and from the floor came a horde of Egg-droids.

"Enjoy them, Sonic the Hedgehog," Eggman called, "I'm out to see if my little telekinetic warrior has recovered my lovely red-haired power source."

"Why don't you ask the telekinetic warrior yourself?" said a deep voice from behind them. The three looked to see Shadow with the green Chaos Emerald in his hand and Silver next to him.

"What?! Where's the microchip on your forehead?" Eggman roared when he couldn't see it on the white Mobian anymore.

"It came off," Silver shrugged simply. Waya wagged his tail, overjoyed to see that this time his friend was free.

"And now that we've got a Chaos Emerald in our hands," Shadow pronounced, holding it up. "let's get the fun started."

"Never thought I'd hear those words from him," Sonic remarked to Knuckles.

"Well, you'd be surprised nowadays," Knuckles stated, then cracked his knuckles, "But yes, let's get the fun started."

Sonic spun like a ball, hitting the droids like he was a pinball; Knuckles took apart the Egg-droids by punching through them; Shadow used the green gem to pop here and there and take down the robots, and Silver used his TK to collide the bots together, making them break in the impact.

Waya stared in awe at how tough and strong they all were. He wished he could've joined the battle party, but giving his inexperience of battling robots, he knew better so he just at the sidelines and enjoyed the show.

Finally, the fight was over and the floor was covered with broken robot parts. They all looked sharply at Eggman now who looked frightened at their stares. "Uh-oh." He pressed another button and the ceiling opened up to the night sky. "Sorry, but gotta run...away. Until next time, Sonic and friends."

He flew up through the hole, but Silver wasn't going to let him get away and started flying after him. After what he did to his friends tonight, there was no way he was getting away. But to his shock, Eggman used jet power and zoomed away to the east, faster than the speed of light.

Silver couldn't believe how it ended like this and growled in frustration. "He got away!" he shouted.

"Easy, Silver," Sonic soothed. "This always happens, like we told ya."

"Yeah, he's not an easy guy to capture," Knuckles put in.

Silver sighed and landed on the floor with everyone, his head hanging in shame. Waya stepped in front of the white hedgehog, tilting his head in confusion. Silver looked at him and said, "Waya, I'm sorry you and Aurora got involved in this. All of you. I just wanted to find whomever was looking for me and do it away from your house." He shook his head, deeply regretting that idea of his.

Waya smiled in sympathy and stood next to him, leaning his head on his hand, barking and wagging his tail.

"I think he's trying to say, 'Don't sweat it. We're just glad you're with us again,'" Sonic guessed. "Right?" he asked the wolf. Waya nodded.

"Yeah, that was the whole point of this rescue mission in the first place," Knuckles agreed, putting an arm around Silver's shoulder.

"And it turns out Aurora did most of the rescuing," Shadow put in. "She really wanted to come and use the emerald to free you." He smiled at the green emerald that'd assisted her to helping the boy. "And she succeeded."

Silver looked at the ground and then at Waya who gave him a reassuring smile that told him everything was all right. Silver grinned and petted the wolf's head. "She sure did," he agreed quietly. "I owe her a lot."

"Then let's go see her," Sonic said. "Say where is Aurora, anyway? And Tails?"

"They're outside waiting for us," Shadow answered, pointing his thumb to the door. "You guys go and take Aurora back to Forgotten Peak." He gripped the emerald in his hand and looked around the room, "I'm gonna make sure Eggman doesn't come back for any valuable weapons."

"Great idea," Sonic agreed. "We'll catch ya later."

Once everyone was gone, Shadow worked the emerald that started to glow bright green as he concentrated on wanting to demolish this hideout and anything dangerous in it.

* * *

Tails waited on the X-Tornado in his pilot's seat, getting worried about the others. "I hope they're okay," he said quietly. He looked at Aurora who was still unconscious behind him yet unharmed. "Thankfully, you're okay, too."

He turned his head to the sound of footsteps and saw relief to see Sonic and the others. "Hey, glad to see you guys made it," he called happily. "You caught Eggman?"

"Nope," Sonic answered straight forwardly with a shrug. "Go figure."

"He's long gone in the east by now," Knuckles informed.

"Hey, where's Shadow?" Tails asked when he couldn't see the dark hedgehog.

"He's staying behind to make sure Eggman doesn't come back for any weapons of his," Sonic answered. "He told us to head back to Forgotten Peak."

"Well, then, let's get goin'," Tails announced, starting the jet's engines up. Sonic and Knuckles hopped on and Silver floated himself and Waya up to the passenger's seat to see Aurora still out-cold.

Waya looked with concern for Silver to explain reassuringly, "It's okay, she's just tired from working the emerald." The white wolf nodded in gratitude and gently sat beside her, putting his head on hers.

"_Aurora, I don't know if you can hear my thoughts, but if you can, then I'm glad you're all right and that you freed Silver. We got our friend back thanks to you._"

Before Waya knew it, they were flying which he kind of resented. He wouldn't mind flying...like an eagle or a falcon, but on a flying machine, not so much. But he kept his attention on Aurora and leaned himself onto her to warm her up with his fur. He felt her shift a bit and saw her grin, looking grateful for the warmth, making Waya grin, too.

Silver smiled and stroked Aurora's hair to comfort her as best as he could, happy to be back with them both once again. At least he was keeping his promise to come back to Forgotten Peak to stay with them. That was the one promise he did not want to break this time.


	13. Another Rumble

**Chapter 13: Another Rumble**

That night, after the little fight in cave where Eggman's hideout was, Tails started flying the gang to Aurora's house in the X-Tornado. She was still unconscious in the back seat with Waya keeping her warm from the cool air and Silver being close beside them.

Silver was explaining how Aurora was able to save him and it amazed them yet again at how her aura helped him.

"So, she just put her hand on the chip and it came off?" Tails queried.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, his eyes and hand on his exhausted red-haired friend. "When that chip was on me, I'd forgotten who I was until she told me about my friend Blaze and what I'm supposed to do to help my world. And just as I stopped to remember, I felt my mind dropped back down to me like that chip did at her touch."

"Just one touch and the thing came off?" Sonic asked, looking at Aurora with an impressed expression. "Well, she's just full of surprises."

"Yeah, that is some power she's got," Knuckles agreed, though he had a concerned look, "Although, I still wish this power wouldn't drain her strength like this."

"Thankfully, she's only unconscious," Tails said being positive. "She oughta feel better in the morning."

Waya and Silver were glad to know that. She'd been good to them both and did her best to keep them from harm and were happy to have her as a friend when they were in the loneliest of times. She suddenly moaned, but very quietly. Waya gently nuzzled her face with his, hushing her back to sleep. She smiled and stood still, relaxing in his caress. His paw found her hand by mistake, but she didn't move.

Frankly, for that moment, he really wished he had fingers, then he could hold her hand. He was glad to be close enough to comfort her like this, but still, he couldn't help but wish he could do more... Then, to his surprise, he felt her fingers grip his paw. He looked to see if she was awake, but she wasn't yet. He guessed she did it subconsciously...then right there, he smiled and stopped questioning it and was glad she had the fingers to grip his paw.

Silver saw Waya looking...strangely happy and tilted his head wondering what he was thinking. To be honest, he would've liked to read his thoughts like Aurora could, but he was a telekinetic, not a telepath like she was. He also wondered again how she was able to hear his voice in his head, anyway.

He remembered that Aurora said it was a bond they had with each other and that was how they were able to hear each other howling from a far away distance once... Then he noticed Aurora's hand wrapped around Waya's paw and grinned.

_They remind me so much of me and Blaze... Although, we...didn't hold hands like that._

To interrupt Silver's thoughts, Knuckles spoke aloud, "I wonder if Shadow's done demolishing Eggman's hideout yet."

"Yeah, he is taking a while," Tails observed.

"Probably wants to do a thorough job," Sonic thought, "Not that I blame him."

"In that case, I sure would've loved to stay and help," Knuckles grumbled, then punched his fist in his palm. "Wherever Eggman is hiding now, he'd better stay there if he knows what's good for him."

"Unfortunately, Eggman never knows what's good for him," Tails put in sadly.

"Yeah, for a scientist, you'd think he'd learn his lessons by now," Sonic agreed with a wink, "especially since we're the teachers."

Suddenly, something caught Knuckles's eye when he saw something on the horizon. "What...?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What is it, Knuckles?" Tails asked.

"I see something ahead of us," he answered, keeping his eyes forward. He put a straight hand over his eyes to get a better view. He saw something like lights, several lights, like a swarm of fireflies... But he knew they were no fireflies. "I think they're..."

Tails looked for himself and he knew exactly what they were. His eyes widened in horror and exclaimed, "Those are Eggman's robots!"

"What?!" Sonic shouted.

Silver and Waya jerked their heads on the horizon and they could see for themselves the many lights that looked like they belonged to robots that were headed towards them.

"Oh, no," Silver whispered fearfully.

"Doesn't that guy ever quit?" Knuckles growled.

"This is Eggman we're talkin' about, Knuckles," Sonic reminded him, "He never quits."

"Guys, there are so many of them. Like 300," Tails counted, shuddering at the sight of the mechanical army in the air.

"Only three hundred?" Sonic asked with a grin, "Well, that's no problem."

"It is a problem, Sonic," Tails disagreed. "Eggman obviously sent those robots to capture Silver and Aurora," Tails persisted, "We can't risk bringing them into battle."

"Then Sonic and I will take them on while you guys run for it," Knuckles proclaimed.

"But they're flying," Tails persisted. "They'll just ignore you when you're on the ground and come for us in the jet instead."

"Hmm..." Sonic thought carefully. "Then I have a plan." He pointed to a spot in the woods and ordered, "Tails, land in those trees for a minute."

"Okay," Tails nodded, bringing the X-Tornado in the trees. Once they safely landed, Sonic walked up to Aurora and Waya, undid Aurora's seat belt and handed the unconscious girl to Silver. "You take Waya and Aurora to safety," he instructed. "Take your com that Waya's wearing and call Shadow for help and you hide somewhere and keep them safe while the rest of us keep Eggman's robots from you."

Silver understand with a nod and took Aurora in his arms. Waya stuck put his paw to Sonic who took the com off his leg and put it on Silver's wrist. Silver floated himself down and Waya jumped down next to him. "Good luck, guys," Silver told them.

"You, too," Sonic said with a wink and a thumbs-up.

"Stay safe," Tails added, turning the engine back on.

"We'll be back for ya as soon as possible," Knuckles called as they flew in the air headed for the robots.

Silver would've liked to help them, but he knew someone had to keep Aurora and Waya out of harm's way, so he held Aurora close and announced, "Let's go, Waya."

Waya nodded and followed the white hedgehog to hide somewhere safe in the woods.

Meanwhile, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles flew right towards the robot army. With their friends safe and away from the battlefield, they were more than ready for Eggman's bots.

"You know," Tails spoke up curiously, "it makes me wonder if Eggman was prepared to have these robots ready someplace safe away from his hideout in case..."

"In case things didn't go well when he kidnapped Silver and would need more backup," Sonic finished, clenching his fist. "He won't stop at anything until he gets Silver and Aurora again."

"Well, that ain't happenin'," Knuckles vowed, clenching his own fist tightly, itching for a fight. "And this time, let's make sure Eggman gets the picture."

After a rather suspenseful moment flying towards the flying robots that got easier to make out and waiting just one tensed second of silence, all chaos broke loose. Knuckles glided off of the jet and punched through the robots he flew through. Sonic spun into a ball and knocked out as many droids as he could almost like a flying bowling ball through floating bowling pins. Tails used the X-Tornado's weapons and shot missiles at the robots.

Sonic landed next to Knuckles on the ground while they fought the droids together. The blue hedgehog looked around for someone, but he couldn't see him anywhere.

"Searching for a particular robot you want to smash?" Knuckles queried.

"No, I'm searching for the certain inventor," Sonic answered as he kept fighting and looking.

"Eggman?" Knuckles guessed, jumping up landing fist first through a droid.

"Yep," he replied, spinning like a ball making holes through robots here and there, then landed next to Knuckles. "I mean, you'd think he'd be here to make sure they'd get Aurora and Silver. So where is he?"

"Maybe he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire," Knuckles shrugged simply, then went to punch through more droids. Sonic wasn't so sure and climbed up the flying robots and called, "Tails!"

The fox looked to see Sonic who was riding on one of the robots. "Keep eye out for Eggman! He's gotta be around here somewhere!" Tails gave him a thumbs-up as a response and searched here and there for the mad doctor while shooting at robots. Then something caught his eye. He narrowed his eyes and saw something floating right to where Aurora and the guys were!

"Sonic!" Tails hollered, getting his attention. "Something's headed towards the woods!"

"Oh, no!" Sonic cried in horror. To Knuckles, he said, "We gotta help them."

"How?" Knuckles asked, smashing more robots that were surrounding them. "These heaps are in our way."

"Then we gotta take them down fast!" Sonic averred, kicking one robot into pieces. "We can't let Eggman get ahold of them again!"

While they quickly tried to take down all of these robots, Sonic wondered desperately where Shadow was.

* * *

Silver took Aurora and Waya to a little cave and huddled at the very back of the darkness. He gently put Aurora down sitting against the cave wall and immediately turned on his com. "Shadow, whatever you're doing, I hope you answer," he prayed as he waited tensely for the dark hedgehog to respond.

* * *

Back at the cave where Eggman's hideout was, Shadow took everything apart, making sure nothing that the mad doctor would come back for was left. Finally, he found a lab and started using Chaos Energy to break all computers and other tech into useless junk.

Shadow stopped, panting at his hard work and huffed, "Well, that's the last room in here. Now to get back to the others." Just when he was about to Chaos Control out, he heard something fall down on the floor. He looked to see a round disc inside a square plastic case with black words written in marker.

Curious, Shadow stepped up and picked the case up and read the words. "Information on Special Energies." His eyes widened at his discovery. Dr. Eggman would always call Aurora's aura her energy. And if this disc was about special energy, then obviously it must have information about her special energy.

"Looks like we finally have a clue about your powers, Aurora," Shadow declared with a satisfied grin. Suddenly, a beep from his com caught his attention. He pressed a button, and answered, "Yes?"

"Shadow, it's me Silver," the white hedgehog replied, sounding a little frantic.

"Silver? What's wrong?" he asked, surprised that he'd get a call from the boy.

"On the way back to Aurora's house, we spotted robots on the horizon. Eggman's robots."

"What?!" Shadow shouted. "He's brought back-up?"

"Yes, and right now, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are fighting them."

"What about you, Waya, and Aurora?"

"We're hiding in a cave in the woods until the fight's over. Sonic told me to call you for help."

"I'm on my way," he affirmed. "Meanwhile, you three stay right where you are."

"Yes, sir," Silver replied obediently.

Shadow turned off his com and put the discovered disc away, pulling out the green Chaos Emerald. He concentrated on where Sonic and the others were fighting and yelled, "Chaos Control!" And with a flash, he disappeared from the demolished hideout.

* * *

After ending the call with Shadow, Silver turned to Waya who stood next to Aurora. "Shadow should be helping the others right now," Silver informed him. Waya nodded, liking the good news. "Now we just sit here and wait until they come get us," he added, sitting next to Aurora on the other side.

The white boys waited while watching Aurora still unconscious. They wondered when she was going to wake up. It would've made things a little easier if she was awake at this time, but the power from using the emerald wore her out and they were told she'd be asleep for several hours.

Silver sighed and thought, _But I'm scared for her to be out cold and helpless at a time like this... Calm down, Silver. Shadow's on the way to help and as long as we stay here, what could happen? _

Then, Aurora started to twitch and moan that caught the boys' attention. They thought at first she was waking up, but when they waited for a moment, she remained still and quiet. The boys frowned in disappointment. Silver held her hand, gently gripping it.

"Hold on, Aurora," he whispered. "We'll be home soon."

Home... The sound of that word felt really good to Silver. Ever since he'd been battling Iblis most of his life...he never stayed in one place too long. Actually, the only thing that felt like home to him was having Blaze with him. Now that she disappeared, he felt homeless and lost. But after meeting Aurora and Waya...he felt like he found a new kind of belonging again.

To his surprise, he felt a grip on his hand and saw Aurora's hand holding onto his. He looked to see if she was waking up, but she yet to open her eyes. However, Silver still grinned and so did Waya who nuzzled her face again, this time, making her smirk a little at his touch.

Suddenly, they heard a thud noise and felt a vibration on the ground. The noise and the vibration keep going on and to Silver, it was like a giant creature was walking. Waya bricked his ears to the sound, then a sound that was like a megaphone, screeched in the poor human-wolf's ears, making him flinch. Then a sing-songy voice which stopped their hearts, said, "Oh, Miss Aurora. Come out, come out, wherever you are." Dr. Eggman!

Waya looked at Silver in bewilderment, a look that asked, "How could he have found us?" Silver put his finger to his lips, shushing him and stood up, tiptoeing quietly to the exit of the cave and peeked outside to make out a tall Egg-droid walking through the trees away from the cave, which would thankfully hide the cave from its viewpoint. He looked around wondering where Eggman was, but he couldn't see him.

_Is he inside the robot?_

"I know you're here, my dear," the voice of Dr. Eggman coming from the robot said and he thought for sure he was in there. "Come on now, do listen to reason. I just need your assistance one more time and Silver's. You see, from what he said, you believe that being in that tube in my last hideout would hurt you, but on the contrary, it would've only made you feel just a bit weak. In fact, what hurt you was breaking out of the tube when you greatly embraced the Chaos Emerald's powers.

"If being in that tube would've hurt you, I would've told you so, but I'm here to make a deal. If you and Silver agree to help me find the Chaos Emeralds, I won't have to use a microchip on your white hedgehog friend and I'll ensure that you'll both be safe from my plans. And I'll even help you get home again, like I'd offered a while back. It's not hard to do. All we have to do is work together. We'd make a great team. What do you say?"

_If Aurora heard that, she'd say no without a second thought and so am I. Even if Eggman could send her back to her world or ensure our safety, he wouldn't make everyone else's lives easier. This world already had Iblis wreaking havoc in the future and it doesn't need Eggman to make things bad now._

Silver quickly but quietly walked back to Waya and knelt down with a grim expression. "Waya, I need you to take Aurora to another place to hide. Sooner or later, Eggman will find this cave and we can't end up trapped in here when he does."

Waya whined, giving him a look asking, "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna hold Eggman off and make sure he doesn't notice you escaping." The wolf's eyes widened in dismay when he said that. "It's the only way, Waya. He'll hurt Aurora again if he gets her again. His promises are nothing but lies, we both know that. You have to keep her safe."

Silver stood up and started marching to the exit to face Eggman, but to his surprise, Waya stood in front of him, blocking his path. "Waya, please move out of the way."

Waya shook his head in denial and gently took Silver's hand in his teeth and led him back to Aurora. He let go of him and put a paw on her knee, pointing his eyes at her and him, placing his paw on his chest and pointing it outside where Eggman was.

Silver wondered what he was trying to say, then he figured out his plan. "You're saying you want me to get Aurora out of here while you distract him?" he asked.

Waya nodded. He pointed at Eggman's direction again and looked at Silver and Aurora, nodding. Then he pointed outside and at himself, shaking his head. The white hedgehog believed he understood that and said, "You're saying that Eggman only has a use for us, but not you. If I go out there, he'll try to capture me... But if you go out there, he won't try to."

Waya nodded sharply, his way of saying, "Exactly."

"But, Waya, you don't have powers to fight off Eggman. How will you...?" Silver began to protest, but Waya put a paw on Aurora's lap, giving him a pleading look. Silver thought that was his way of saying, "But you have powers to keep Aurora safe, I don't. You're the one who should take her to safety, not me."

Silver could see the desperate look in his eyes...and he knew he was begging him to take Aurora himself. He still disagreed with his plan, but Waya did make sense. The wolf couldn't protect Aurora from Eggman like Silver could. He had the powers to keep her safe... He clenched his fist, hating his idea more and more, but regretfully, he looked up at Waya and nodded. "Okay...we'll go with your plan."

Waya smiled gratefully at him, happy that he was listening to him. Then Silver had a thought. "Hey, I've got it," he declared with a raised finger. Waya pricked his ears in curiosity. "When you go out there, maybe you can lead Eggman outside of the woods. If you do that, Sonic and the others in the open fields will see him and that'll mean..."

Waya's eyes brightened up in understanding, nodding in agreement. Sonic and the others would be able to see a tall Egg-droid like that and when they did, they'd take care of him. The boys nodded, grasping each other's hands... Well, hand or paw. Waya turned to Aurora and put his head on hers.

"_Aurora, if you can hear me...and if you don't see me...just know that you and Silver are my very good friends and thank you for everything._" He pulled his head from her and without thinking, he gently licked her cheek with the tip of his tongue. Then he went straight out of the cave and when he got close enough to the robot through the trees, he barked at it.

The robot turned around at the sound. "Hmm? Oh, well, if it isn't Aurora's pet... Uh... Wyatt." The wolf growled at him for not only calling him a pet again, but got his name wrong. "Uh-oh," Eggman said, slightly intimidated at the young wolf's anger. "Hope you've had your shots. If not, good thing I'm not going into direct combat. But why don't you be a good little doggy, and lead me to Aurora and Silver?" Go on, go fetch them for Dr. Eggman."

Now Waya was snarling with rage at being called a doggy, but he turned around and ran into the direction of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles.

"Oh, are they over there?" Eggman asked, thinking he was leading him to Silver and Aurora. "Okay, I'll follow you."

Silver listened for the sounds and vibrations of thudding growing smaller and smaller until he couldn't hear or feel either anymore and sighed with relief. "Waya did it," he told Aurora who was still unconscious. He picked her up bridal style and walked out of the cave, going away from the direction Waya was taking Eggman.

"Now all I've got to do is take us somewhere else until the others stop him," Silver said as he ran deeper into the woods. He knew it would've been really dumb to fly in the air and get noticed, so staying on the ground was a better idea. He just hoped Waya's idea would work and he hoped that Shadow had arrived to help.

* * *

Sonic and the others were still fighting what was left of the Egg-droids that kept coming and coming.

"Not that I can't keep this up," Knuckles breathed, "but we can't stay here any longer with that one robot after Aurora and the guys."

"I know, but these things keep getting in our way," Sonic grunted, still kicking apart robots. "Where is the world is Shadow?"

To answer his question, a light flashed and Sonic and Knuckles looked to see Shadow who had finally arrived.

"I see I'm tardy for the party," Shadow observed, seeing robots everywhere. "But I'm glad you've saved me some."

"Hate to break it to ya, Shadow," Sonic disagreed, "but you've got to head into the woods and find the others."

"A saw a robot heading in their direction," Tails cried in the air. That made Shadow's fur stand on end.

"We'll hold these guys off, you find Aurora and the guys," Knuckles told Shadow.

Shadow nodded and took off into the direction of the woods, hoping Silver could keep Aurora and Waya save until he found them.

* * *

Waya ran as fast as his legs could carry him, getting away from the tall Egg-droid that was still chasing him. He was nearly at the outskirts of the woodlands until he heard the sound of the footsteps behind him stopping and he looked in confusion.

"Wait, hold on, I know what's going on here," Eggman stated, "You're taking me outside of the woods because that way is where Sonic and his friends are fighting my robot army. You're playing games with me. Now tell me, where are Aurora and Silver really hiding at?"

Waya growled, showing his bared teeth, refusing to tell him, his fur standing on end, looking like a wild beast instead of the gentle humane wolf-boy he's always been.

"Never mind, it's pointless to make an animal tell me anything," Eggman teased. "I'll just knock down every tree in this forest until I find them." The Egg-droid already took down one tree and another. As he kept pulling down trees in his wake, Waya barked for him to stop, but Eggman either didn't heart him or he was just ignoring him.

With fierce determination, he dashed towards the robot and stood in front of it, giving Eggman a threatening growl and glare, his green eyes blazing like an emerald fire. "Whoa, boy," the doctor said, trying to calm him, "Down. Besides, you should know that my robot is not some chew toy you can tear apart with your teeth and claws. In fact..."

Before Waya knew it, the robot arm knocked the brave wolf hard against a tree, making him fall with a thud. His vision was blurry and he saw shapes and colors of the robot that knocked down still trees. He tried to get up, but he was very hurt, it did him no good to move at all.

He blamed himself for doing something so reckless. He knew instead of being a hero and trying to fight off a robot that he stood no chance against, he should've gone to get Sonic and the others for help. He shedded a tear, thinking there was way to call them for help... Then he had an idea.

With whatever strength he had to muster, he lifted his head and with a deep, steady breath, he howled as loud as he could, hoping it would at least get the guys' attention.

In the woods where Shadow was dashing through the trees, looking for Aurora and the guys, a howling caught his ear and he knew whose howl that was. "Waya." He stopped and listened to where he was howling and followed the source. Then, he saw Waya leaning against a tree, but to his shock, Silver and Aurora weren't with him.

He ran up to the wolf who stopped at the sounds of small footsteps and looked to see Shadow and swelled up with relief to see the black hedgehog. Shadow bent down, and put a hand on his shoulder, asking, "Waya, where are Silver and Aurora?"

Weakly, Waya pointed his head to the trees that'd been knocked down. Shadow felt his stomach lurch at the thought of a robot who could do that much damage while chasing after Aurora and Silver. "Come on, let's go after them," Shadow said, standing up. The wolf shook his head, saying he can't go with him. "Why not?" Waya showed him how hurt he was, trying to stand up, then fell down again. Shadow looked from him to the tree and realized what'd happened. "Did you try to fight the robot?"

Waya gave a small nod. "Oh, Waya, you shouldn't have done something so crazy," Shadow told him gently. Then he thought about how he, Silver, and Aurora would all be crazy enough to do things to help others. Sure, they were a little nuts...but they were brave, Shadow had to give them that. "Then again, that's what you, Aurora, and Silver have in common," Shadow proclaimed with a grin.

The injured wolf grinned back at Shadow who put hands under him and Waya winced in pain when Shadow put him on his back. "Come on, I'm not leavin' you here," he stated, "We'll go after them together."

Waya whined gratefully as Shadow dashed through the fallen trees, following the trail to the robot that was looking for Silver and Aurora. The wolf hoped that they could find them in time before it was too late. Those two were very important to him. One of the few friends he had in his life now since he lost his parents to a monster and his friends to their hatred. ...He just couldn't stand to lose anyone else to evil and corruption.

"_Aurora, if you can hear me, just hang on. Help is on the way._"


	14. Giant Water Snake

**Chapter 14: Giant Water Snake**

Deep in the woods, Aurora lay unconscious in Silver's protective arms as he ran past the trees, looking for a new place to hide. While he was running, Aurora heard something. At first she was dreaming, but the sound felt real...and familiar.

She listened and to her, it sounded like Waya...but his howl was different. Usually, it was strong and powerful yet soothing...but this time it sounded weak as if he was...hurt. Then she remembered hearing him talk to her telepathically like he usually would, saying, "If you don't see me, just know that you and Silver are my very good friends and thank you for everything."

His last words to her and his weak howling terrified Aurora. Did this mean that Waya was...? "No..." she whispered.

"Huh?" Silver stopped and saw Aurora struggling in his arms.

"No, no. Waya," she whimpered as she kept moving.

For a split second, Silver was happy that she was waking up, but when he heard her mutter about Waya like that, he believed that she knew the wolf was in trouble. Quickly, he came behind a tree, gently setting Aurora down.

"Aurora?" he whispered, his hands on her shoulders. "It's me Silver."

Aurora gasped and her eyes flew wide open, her head looking from left to right, looking for the white wolf. "Waya?" she called fearfully.

"Shh," Silver hushed her, gently pushing her back against the tree. "You shouldn't be talking so loudly. We're hiding from a really big Egg-droid and we can't draw attention."

She took a deep breath, a hand on her forehead, murmuring, "I'm sorry, it's just... I don't see Waya."

Silver was quiet for a second, and reluctantly explained, "He was the one leading the Egg-droid Eggman was in away from us...to buy us time to escape unnoticed."

"He did?" she asked in surprise. She was silent, looking at her lap, "But I heard him howling."

"You did?" he blinked. She nodded reassuringly. "But he's far away by now. He took Eggman to where Sonic and the others are fighting his robot army. And if he was here, I would've heard him, too."

Aurora stopped to think for a moment, and then remembered something. When Waya was still a human, he left her house after he'd completely healed, but at one night, they howled at the same time, but even though they were far away from each other, they heard each other's howls. When they met again and explained this, they guessed it was because of a bond they had...

_Could I have heard him from a distance just now, too?_ She knew it had to be it.

"No, he is far away, but I did hear him. Remember, we can hear each other's voices when we're far away," she reminded Silver. "And when I heard him, he sounded like he was in pain."

"What? Are you sure?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm pretty sure," she nodded, feeling very concerned. "I know his howling and that was not his usual strong howl." She started to get up, but held her head when she started to get dizzy and leaned against the tree. She breathed to get it together and said, "We gotta help him."

Silver gently put a hand on her arm to press her against the tree. "Hang on, Aurora, we can't go back. I'm just as worried about Waya as you, but he bought us time for a reason. You see..." he explained, looking at the ground sadly, "I'd first offered to lead Eggman away to buy you and Waya enough time to escape, but Waya knew he'd capture me, too. So he had a better idea: Use himself, a wolf with no powers or abilities that Eggman would want, to lead him away from us, knowing that I can protect you more than he could against a robot."

Aurora looked away in amazement. It did seem like a good idea...but still, his painful howl still rang in her ears. "But what if Eggman found out it was a trick and...?" she started to ask, shuddering at the thought of that awful man hurting that wolf-boy. "What do we do? What if he needs help?" she said, her voice cracking.

Silver gently gripped her hand, looking her straight in the eye and said clearly, "If something happens, Sonic and the others will find him. But let's put Waya's actions in vain. He led him away to protect us. The best thing we can do to help him is to keep running until the guys find us."

Aurora desperately wanted to find Waya...but she knew Silver was right. Waya protected them for a reason...and she knew either she, herself, or Silver would've done the same thing. With a firm nod, she said, "All right, then. Let's keep going."

The young hedgehog smiled gratefully at her understanding and started to lead her deeper into the woods, but Aurora stumbled as she followed him, holding her head.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked, stopping to turn to her.

"I still feel a little light-headed," she answered, her head spinning a bit.

"Better let me carry you, then," he suggested, picking her up in his arms. "Be faster. I'd like to fly us, but we wouldn't want to get attention if we got spotted in the air."

"I see your point," she agreed, putting her arms around his neck as he ran. Other than her dizziness, Aurora felt weird being in a hedgehog's hold that was going at a pace like this. Usually, with Sonic or Shadow, it'd be much faster, but Silver wasn't as speedy as either of them. His speed was mostly in the air, not on the ground. However, the way her head was feeling, she didn't mind this pace at all at the moment.

Suddenly, Silver felt something loud, and halted into place, looking around the trees around them.

"What is it, Silver?" Aurora asked curiously.

The white hedgehog flicked his ears straight, listening for the sound that came again. "I hear...a crashing noise."

"A crashing noise?" she echoed.

"Yes..." Silver answered quietly, listening again... The noise got louder and louder, and the vibration on the ground felt bigger and bigger. He turned around and saw that trees were falling. His eyes widened with horror, knowing what that meant. "Hold on," he instructed her, running away from the falling trees, "And don't make a sound."

Aurora wondered what was scaring him, so she looked to see for herself the falling trees and felt a twinge of fright.

Is that...? Is that the Egg-droid Silver was talking about? The one Eggman's riding in? Wait, if that is him, then what happened to Waya?

The crashing sounds were getting louder with every terrifying moment and Aurora clutched onto Silver for dear life, scared for both them and Waya. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter when the sounds got closer and Silver panted harder, wondering desperately what to do and where to hide.

He decided to take a left turn, hoping the robot wouldn't do the same. As he kept running, he huffed a question. "Is he still following us?"

Aurora opened one eye and saw the tall menacing robot for herself. It wasn't as big as the Egg-droid she once demolished with the yellow Chaos Emerald, but it was big and strong enough to knock down trees. Thankfully, this one that Eggman was supposed to be in didn't make a turn after them.

"No, he's not," she answered Silver, who sighed in relief.

"Phew, that's good," he replied. It looked like they were home-free for a little while longer until they both could hear Eggman from inside the robot behind them.

"All right, I'm done knocking down trees like a lumber jack!" he exclaimed irritatingly. "The best way to drive you out of hiding is to smoke you out."

_Smoke us out? He wouldn't dare!_

Unfortunately, he did. The Egg-droid flew into the air and started shooting at the trees, and the next thing Aurora knew when Silver still had his eyes in front of him, she could see colors of red and orange licking on the trees and felt the heat coming from it.

"Silver, he's setting the forest on fire!" she cried fearfully. The white hedgehog stopped and looked for himself and stared in complete horror at the flames. For a split second, flashbacks of flames from his world rushed into his head, remembering the Flames Disaster Iblis and how his fire used to burn everything that was in his way.

Even though he was hot, he shivered in fear at the sight of these flames that made him also remember how he lost Blaze when she brought Iblis inside of her...and disappeared right in front of him.

Aurora looked at him, seeing the fear in his eyes and she knew he was remembering a painful past he had in the future, but she knew they couldn't stay here. She shook his shoulder and said urgently, "Silver, wake up." Silver blinked at her touch and looked at her. "Silver, I know you're remembering things, but you have to focus on what's happening now."

The white hedgehog took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. The present is more important. This time, we may have to fly."

"But he's up there," she warned, "Wouldn't he see us?"

Silver was quiet for a moment, knowing she was right. If he dared tried to carry her in the air, Eggman would see them and capture them, but if they'd stayed in the forest with the fire... The white hedgehog clenched his teeth, wishing there was something he could do to protect Aurora.

"Hang on," Aurora pronounced, "I've still got my communicator. You keep running while I call for help."

"Great idea," Silver sighed with relief. Of course, call the others for help. As soon as they hear the forest was on fire, Sonic and the others would have to come... That is, if they weren't still busy fighting off the three hundred robots in the open fields.

* * *

Back at the battlefield, the battle was almost over with one robot that ended up being trashed by Knuckles who landed on the ground, watching the Egg-droid fall apart.

"There, that's the last of them," Knuckles breathed after such a long fight, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Well, now that that's over, let's go find Shadow," Sonic announced. "Maybe he's found Aurora and the guys already."

Tails was in the air, relieved that all of the Egg-droids have been defeated, but then when he looked up to see the forest, he could see a red light dancing on the trees and smoke coming from them. His eyes widened in horror, shouting out to the others below. "Sonic! There's a fire in the forest!"

"What?!" Sonic exclaimed, looking at the forest himself, his heart almost stopping at the sight of the flames in the middle of the woods. "Oh, no!"

"The others!" Knuckles yelled when he saw the flames, too. "They're still in there!"

"Come on, we've got to find them now!" Sonic directed. Before he could move, his wrist com beeped and, hoping it'd be Shadow, immediately turned it on. "Shadow?"

"Sonic!" cried the voice that belonged to Aurora.

"Aurora?" Sonic asked, surprised and relieved to hear she was awake, but worried out of his mind at where she, Waya, and Silver were. "Where are you guys? Shadow went to look for you."

"We haven't seen Shadow yet," she explained, "but Eggman's in a tall Egg-droid and he's already set the forest on fire to look for us."

"Ugh, that coward!" Knuckles growled, clenching his fist. "Where are you now?"

"We're still running on the ground, but the Egg-droid Eggman's in is above the trees," she answered.

"Tails, can you spot him?" Sonic called.

The orange fox looked and he could make out something big above the trees. "Yeah, I see him!" he called back.

"All right, then, Aurora, you guys keep running and we'll take to the skies and deal with Eggman," Sonic told her. "Hopefully, Shadow will see the smoke and find you."

"Roger," she affirmed, ending the call.

"Okay, Tails, let's jet," Sonic told the genius fox.

"Right," Tails nodded, bringing the X-Tornado down to Sonic and Knuckles who jumped onto the wings.

"Let's go! We've got an Eggman to boil," Sonic declared as they flew straight towards the flames with the tall Egg-droid watching below him. Sonic hoped that Shadow would at last get to the others in time before Eggman caught them.

* * *

After Aurora ended the call, she told Silver, "Okay, Sonic and the others are gonna stop Eggman. All we have to do is keep running from this fire and stay out of Eggman's sight."

"Glad to hear they're on their way," Silver replied as he kept running. Although, he hoped there'd be more cover to hide in. The fire was 10 feet away from them, coming closer by the second.

Aurora watched behind them, seeing the dangerous flames that consumed everything in its wake, the trees suffering from the fire, the leaves lighting up from the flames' touch like a candle, and she even saw terrified rabbits, squirrels, deer, badgers, and birds running for their lives away from their torched homes.

She couldn't help shedding tears, feeling very sorry for what'd happened to this forest and its creatures. More than anything, she was scared for Waya. What if he was lying around hurt somewhere and was literally caught in this wildfire?

Suddenly, a flaming log dropped right in front of them, making Silver skid to a halt. They looked to see that this log was blocking their path. They were trapped!

"Well, about time I found you," a voice announced. They turned to see the tall Egg-droid flying towards them. "Is it hot out here or is it just me?" he asked playfully. "Perhaps I can give you both a ride out of here."

"Yes, and back to wherever your new hideout is," Aurora rebuked.

"And over there, we can enjoy hot cocoa," Eggman added, trying to sound hospitable, which didn't work well at all.

"Forget it, Eggman," Silver called, keeping Aurora close. "We're not going with you so you can use us!"

"You're both so much alike," Eggman remarked. "I mean, you're so unreasonably aggressive."

"Says the guy who just set a forest on fire!" Aurora shouted.

"Well, if you two hadn't left my hideout in the cave, none of this would've happened," he said simply. "Now I'll give you one more chance to come with me willingly. If not, then I'll have no choice but to use force."

"We are not going with you and that's final!" Silver yelled. He put Aurora down and opened both palms to lift the fiery log, sending it straight towards the Egg-droid that broke the log in half, sending two small logs of fire below him, making the spot around Aurora and Silver a ring of fire.

"Oh, no, what have I done now?" Silver murmured, not believing how worse the situation got.

"Okay, I've tried to be nice," Eggman said, reaching metal hands on them, "but now..."

Silver didn't know what to do at first. He stood still in front of Aurora, staring at the robotic hand. Suddenly, flashbacks came rushing into his head. His nightmare about trying so hard to rescue Aurora, hearing the voices telling him he couldn't save her. Then he remembered Knuckles telling him that one of these days, he'd have to rely on his own strength, not just his telekinesis.

With a clenched fist, he waited for the robot to get closer to him, whispering to Aurora, "Get down." Aurora wondered what he was up to, but she did what she was told and ducked.

Then when the hand was inches away from them, Silver gave a battle cry and threw his fist at the droid's hand and practically disintegrated it. Aurora opened her eyes and saw in awe at what he did to the robot's hand.

"Wow, Silver, where'd that come from?" she asked in amazement.

"Let's just say, I learned sometimes physical attacks are as helpful as mental attacks," he answered simply with a grin.

"Hey, that was my hand!" Eggman cried.

"Hey, you're lucky it was your robot's hand and not your real one," Aurora told him.

"True," Eggman agreed, "but I've still got another robotic hand to try and..."

"Yo, Dr. E!" shouted a familiar voice that belonged to a certain blue hedgehog.

"Oh, no, please," Eggman moaned, slowly turning around to see the X-Tornado with Sonic and Knuckles riding on the wings.

"Get away from them!" Knuckles roared as Tails flew in closer.

"Tails, you get Aurora and the guys out of here," Sonic instructed, "Knuckles and I will keep Eggman busy."

"Gotcha," Tails nodded. When they got close, Sonic and Knuckles jumped off and landed on the Egg-droid.

"Get off of me, you pests!" Eggman demanded, trying to shake them off.

Tails stopped midair right above Silver and Aurora. "Guys, get up here now!" he called urgently.

Silver nodded and picked Aurora back up and telekinetically flew them up to the jet and gently placed Aurora in the back seat. "Hey, where's Waya?" Tails asked, looking in the fire to see where the wolf was.

"He stayed behind to draw Eggman away from us so we can escape," Silver answered regretfully. "It worked, but not for very long." Squeezing his fist and his eyes, he added, "We don't know where he is."

"Maybe Shadow's found him," Aurora thought positively. "After all, he is looking for us."

"I sure hope he can find us," Tails said.

"He will," Aurora reassured. "All he has to do is follow the smoke. Here, I'll call him and tell him the situation."

* * *

Somewhere in the woods, Shadow was carrying the wounded Waya on his back while he was searching for Aurora and Silver.

"Waya, can't you smell for their scents?" Shadow asked. "That might help."

Waya nodded in agreement and sniffed the air for their friends. He took in a deep breath and then, a disturbing smell made him hold his breath in shock and fear. He looked up to see if his sense of smell was correct and saw with horror something black flying in the sky. He tabbed Shadow in the shoulder and pointed upwards to the tree tops.

Shadow looked where he was staring at and his eyes went wide when he saw it himself. Smoke! "Oh, no, don't tell me..." he murmured fearfully. Without another word, he zoomed across the trees, hoping that what he was thinking wasn't true, although he could feel something very hot touching his fur as he kept running. To both his and Waya's horror, it was true. They could see flames swallowing trees and bushes in their path, burning up the trunks until they gave and fell down on the ground.

_Did that robot do this? But where are Aurora and Silver now?_

Suddenly, his com beeped and he put Waya down and answered it.

"Shadow, are you there?" said Aurora on the other end of the com.

"Aurora," Shadow replied, happy to hear she was awake and calling him yet worried sick of where she was in this fire storm. "Where are you and Silver?"

"We're with Tails in the X-Tornado," she answered. "Eggman found us in a tall Egg-droid and started a fire to smoke us out. Sonic and Knuckles are taking care of him."

Shadow sighed with relief along with Waya, both very glad to hear they were safe with the others.

"Shadow, Waya's in the woods somewhere," Aurora went on concernedly, "Did you find him?"

"I did," he affirmed, "He's hurt, but he's safe with me."

"Great," she said with utmost relief.

"But can you find us?" Silver asked.

"Yes, just stay there for a second and I'll teleport us to you," he directed.

"Roger," Aurora replied, ending the call.

"Okay, Waya, let's go," he told the white wolf, holding on to him, despite him wincing. Shadow quickly pulled out the green Chaos Emerald and shouted, "Chaos Control!" and with a flash, they disappeared.

* * *

At the X-Tornado, Aurora, Silver, and Tails waited for Shadow to show up with Waya.

"How badly hurt do you think Waya is?" Silver asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Aurora answered, just as worried, pulling out the first-aid kit she brought just in case. "Hopefully, I can mend them best as I can. I'm just glad he's a fast healer."

Just then, a light flashed and they saw Shadow on the jet's wing with Waya in his hold. "Glad to see you're safe," he told Aurora and Silver.

"Same here," Aurora replied. Shadow slowly brought Waya to Aurora's seat, helping him get in. He winced every time he moved as if he lost a wrestling match to a gorilla. "Waya, how you feeling?" she asked holding his head once he was beside her in the seat.

With pain, he leaned up to her head to answer her. "_I've had worse pains. That Eggman knocked me against a tree when I tried to stop him when he found out I was playing him._"

"You tried to stop him from looking for us?" she said out loud. "Waya, you shouldn't have done that."

"_I know... I just didn't know what else to do._"

Aurora couldn't help but grin and rubbed the fur on his neck. "I guess I can relate," she sympathized. "You did it because you wanted to protect us. I guess I would've done the same thing."

Silver grinned, too, petting Waya on the back of his neck. "Me, too," Silver agreed.

Waya smiled from their petting, and when he received a kiss on the forehead from Aurora, he wagged his tail happily.

"Well, now that we're all here," Shadow announced, "Tails, you take them away from here. I'll help Sonic and Knuckles."

"You know, those words sound very strange coming from you," Tails remarked.

"Don't I know it," Shadow replied with a grin, jumping off the wing.

"Well, you heard him," Tails told the three passengers. "Let's get outta here."

As Tails flew from away from the blazing woods, Silver looked back, staring at the horrible tragedy that this forest was dealing. It was fire that ruined his world in the future, and it hurt Silver deeply that fire was ruining this piece of land. He wanted to go back and help them stop Eggman, even though he knew he'd damaged at least one of his hand and had been asked to stay with Aurora and Waya... Although, even if he could help Sonic and the others stop Eggman, how would that stop the fire destroying the entire forest?

Aurora noticed Silver looking back at the terrible dancing flames and knew what he was thinking. She reached a hand on his, making him look at her. She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know you want to stop this fire," she said gently.

Silver blinked and gripped her hand, nodding. "Yes, I do," he murmured, looking away. "It was my fault I got captured. If I hadn't," he said, looking back at the burned up woods, "this never would've happened."

"But, Silver," Tails spoke up, "Eggman was the one who set the woods on fire, not you."

"I know..." Silver replied, keeping his gaze at the fire. "...but I started all of this, though. If I hadn't fallen for his trap..." He looked at Aurora with a regretful expression. "If I had listened to you..."

"We all make mistakes, Silver," Aurora told him, "but when we do, we shouldn't try to torture ourselves with them when we should try to make up for them instead."

Silver knew this was true. Feeling sorry for oneself doesn't help mend mistakes. Suddenly, a shining white in one part of the forest caught Silver's eye. He narrowed his eyes and he could see the moon's reflection on a large...lake! That's it! This was the solution to their problems.

"And I know exactly what I'm going to do to make up for this mistake," Silver declared, standing up, floating telekinetically in the air.

"Silver, where are you going?" Aurora asked.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing this time," Silver reassured her with a thumbs-up that reminded her so much of Sonic. "Tails, get them away from here. Sonic and the others can take care of Eggman themselves, but I know how to put out this fire."

"Are you sure?" Tails asked concernedly.

"Positive," Silver affirmed, then he flew to back to the fiery forest.

"What's he gonna do to stop the fire?" Tails wondered.

Aurora turned to watch Silver fly into a spot in the woods where the fire hadn't reached and saw for herself the huge lake he was headed. "I think he's going to use water from the forest's lake to stop it," she deduced.

"Really?" Tails said. "But how he's gonna spread the water to the forest?"

"Well, maybe he can use his telekinesis," she guessed. "I mean, that has to be his plan."

"Well, let's hope that is his plan and it works," Tails replied. "In the mean time, let's get away from here. By the way, I noticed that the Egg-droid's hand was missing. What happened?"

"Silver punched the hand, as if it was made of glass," she answered, still in awe of what the white hedgehog had done.

"Whoa, he did?" Tails asked in amazement.

"He sure did," she stated. "He said sometimes physical strength is just as handy as mental strength."

"Well, that's true, especially when you use them together," Tails put in.

"Yep," Aurora nodded, looking back at where Silver was going, making out his bluish-green light that was far away, "And I think he's using both today."

* * *

When Silver came as close to the gigantic lake that was half the size of a mountain, he closed his eyes in concentration and took a deep breath. He opened both palms of his glowing hands and focused his telekinesis on the water, the edges of it glowing, brightening the entire lake.

Keeping up his concentration, he lifted his hands in the air, slowly bringing up the water from the huge hole until all of the water was afloat in the air. He opened his eyes and as he moved, he brought the water with him, carrying it to put out the fire.

"I just hope I have enough to save the forest," he told himself as he headed for the flames. When he could see the flames reaching above the treetops, he made the water slim as a giant aquatic snake and made it slither down into the woods and move through the fire, dousing out the destructive flames in its path.

He made absolutely sure to keep the water's shape in place as half of the forest was saved from the fire and carefully moved the water to put out the rest of the flames.

* * *

Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles were busy taking down Eggman in his tall Egg-droid that kept attempting to crush them with just one hand.

"Say, doc, what happened to your other hand?" Sonic asked curiously.

"That new friend of yours Silver did this," Eggman snapped, showing him his empty robotic wrist. "He packed quite a punch, I'll give him that."

"Whoa, the kid did that?" Knuckles asked himself quietly, then grinned in satisfaction. "Well, he's got more in him than I thought."

"Good thing he didn't take down the rest of you," Shadow put in.

"Why is that?" Eggman asked .

"Because then, there'd be nothing left for us to break," Sonic answered matter-of-factly as he rolled up into a ball, breaking both of the droid's legs.

The droid fell down helplessly on the ground, then Knuckles came the robot's good arm and tore it right off. Shadow came and ripped apart the other hand-less arm and the whole robot fell on its back.

"Looks like we've finally caught Dr. Eggman," Sonic declared when they climbed on the droid's chest.

"Let's not assume anything yet," Shadow told him. "He could eject out of here, for all we know."

Knuckles tore open the chest for them all to see in shock that there was no one in the droid at all. "Where is he?" Knuckles murmured.

"Fooled you," said Eggman's voice that came from a megaphone and a video camera that was on the wall in the back. "You didn't honestly think I'd go into battle in one of my own droids, did you? And risk getting caught. Please. You may have won this time, but I'll be back, so I suggest you all watch your own backs. Until then, farewell."

Knuckles growled in frustration at this trick and punched the megaphone and camera into pieces. "He would have to go and do that," he grumbled.

"I told you we shouldn't have assumed things so easily," Shadow stated.

"Thanks for not rubbin' it in, Shadow," Sonic replied sarcastically, even though he wasn't completely surprised Eggman wasn't in the droid, either. "But at least we stopped his droid from getting Silver and Aurora."

"That's true," Shadow agreed.

"Hang on, I see something," Knuckles announced looking past the hedgehogs who turned to see something like a white glowing snake-shaped thing moving around in the flaming woods, putting out the fire.

"What the heck is that?" Knuckles asked with a raised eyebrow.

Shadow narrowed his eyes and he could see through the thing that was dripping liquid as it moved. "I think it's...water," he answered.

"Ugh, I thought it gave me the chills," Sonic shuddered when he knew it was water which he detested, "but how can it be moving?"

Shadow looked up and he saw in surprise that it was Silver with his hands open and his eyes fixed on the moving snake-like water that kept moving through the forest as he did. "It's Silver. He's somehow using his telekinesis to move around that water to put out the fire."

"Whoa, he can do that to water?" Knuckles asked. "That's very impressive."

"And very helpful," Sonic remarked with a thumbs-up. "Just what this forest needs."

They watched Silver who kept moving the water around the entire forest until finally the last of the fire was put out and guided what was left of the water back into the hole, its surface shining in the moonlight.

The white hedgehog looked at the forest and even though he was very sad that most of it was burnt, he was still glad that at least he was able to do what he could to save what was left of it. He remembered Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles at the Egg-droid and flew back to the scene and saw the three who were waving at him.

"Hiya, Silver," Sonic greeted when he came down. "We saw what you did with that water." He winked and gave the young hedgehog a thumbs-up. "Nice goin'."

"Yeah, kid, you did great," Knuckles added. "Things would've been worse had the fire continued."

"Thanks, guys," Silver nodded modestly, "but what about Eggman? Is he...?"

"Caught?" Shadow finished for him. "No, this Egg-droid was remote controlled."

Silver sulked with disappointment, knowing this meant Eggman was still out there somewhere.

"Don't feel too bad, pal," Sonic reassured him. "He does this all the time."

Shadow nodded. "We did tell you he wasn't easy to capture."

"I know..." Silver said quietly, looking away. "I just wished I'd listened to you all sooner. That I'd listened to Aurora sooner."

Shadow walked up Silver, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right," he told him softly. "You only did it because you wanted to keep Aurora safe."

"Which I didn't do," Silver put in.

"Not true, kid," Knuckles denied walking up to the boy. "We learned from Eggman that you broke his hand to pieces." Knuckles gave him a congratulating pat on the back that surprised Silver, though it didn't hurt. "Nice work."

"And you were able to do that because you wanted to keep Aurora safe, right?" Sonic queried.

Silver was quiet for a moment. It was true, he was able to do that because he wanted nothing more than to keep her out of Eggman's grasp and that alone was what gave him that kind of strength. He grinned and nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"So, you see?" Sonic told him, "You did protect her tonight. And you saved the entire forest. That's what I call a happy ending."

Silver nodded agreement, though he still wished in his heart he made better choices, but he was glad his friends were safe from Eggman now.

"Come on," Shadow pronounced, patting Silver's shoulder, "let's catch up to others on the X-Tornado." Everyone nodded and held on to Shadow who pulled out the green Chaos Emerald. "Chaos Control!" With that shout, the emerald flashed, sending the four Mobians away from the rescued forest.

* * *

On the X-Tornado, Tails flew miles away from the battlefield while Aurora was stroking Waya's head who was resting on her lap. She was concerned about him since he didn't move much even though he was breathing.

"Aurora, how's Waya doing over there?" Tails called.

"He hasn't stirred much since we left," she called back, her eyes still on Waya. "I think his injuries are worse than we thought."

"Oh, man," Tails replied worriedly.

"Tails, let's head to the Healing Brook," she told him, "I think this calls for an emergency that only Thomas and the other Healers can answer to."

"You're right," Tails agreed. "Healing Brook, here we come. I wonder if Sonic and the others are doing all right."

To answer his question, a white flashed appeared on the jet's wing and they turned to see Sonic, Shadow, Silver, and Knuckles.

"Hey, there you are!" Tails said, happy to see them safe and sound. "We were starting to get worried. What happened over there?"

"Well, we stopped the Egg-droid," Sonic answered. "Bad news is: Eggman wasn't in there."

"Figures," Tails muttered, not surprised at all.

"Thankfully, Silver here put out the fire," Knuckles added, an arm around the white hedgehog's shoulder. "He used his powers to move the lake's water around to do it."

"I had a feeling that was your plan," Aurora told Silver. "I wish we could've seen you do something like that."

"Me, too," Tails said.

"Well, I was only able to save a little bit of the forest that hadn't been touched by the flames," Silver informed sadly.

"You did what you could, Silver," Aurora assured him. "If you hadn't, who knows how badly things could've turned out?"

"Exactly," Sonic agreed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Silver grinned, then looking at Waya, he stepped up to him and Aurora. "How is he?"

"He hasn't moved," she answered, stroking the wolf's head. "And I think he's unconscious."

"We're headed to Healing Brook right now so Thomas can help," Tails put in.

"Thomas?" Silver repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, remember, he's the Healer Shadow and I met when we traveled together," she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah, right," Silver replied.

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "He and the other Healers helped me before, so I know they'll help him, too. Just hope he can make it until we get there."

"Well, we're pretty good miles away," Tails reported hesitantly.

"I can get us there faster," Shadow declared, pulling out the green emerald again. "Chaos Control!"

Just like that, the X-Tornado and its passengers disappeared in the starry night without a trace. Down below on the ground, in a different forest, there were a pair of terrible greenish-yellow eyes in the shadows and they that had seen the jet vanish along with the girl and her furry friends. Then the eyes themselves disappeared in the dark to Heaven knows where in the night.

* * *

(I'm so...sorry it took this long. I've been having writer's block for days. They're no fun, I tell ya! Now I do believe the next chapter may be the last and there may be a sequel, too. ;) Until then, God bless.)


	15. Healing Reliefs

**Chapter 15: Healing Reliefs**

Shadow had teleported everyone in the X-Tornado to a different part in the sky that was above a forest that everyone but Silver recognized.

"We're here," Shadow announced, putting the green Chaos Emerald away. "Now let's get down and ask for the Healers to help."

Tails nodded and brought the jet to land outside of the woods. Sonic offered to carry Waya and Aurora nodded and let go of Waya whom Silver helped to get on Sonic's back.

Aurora began to stand up, feeling much better from her dizziness and took Silver's hand to telekinetically land on the ground with the others.

"We should look for a soldier," Shadow suggested. "We wouldn't want to go in so suddenly without someone escorting us into the village."

Healing Brook was a hidden village because of its mystical powers to heal and to sense auras such as Aurora's and the villagers thought it'd be best to keep their gifts a secret should anyone with evil ambitions use and abuse them.

"Hopefully, we'll find Ryan," Aurora spoke up. To Silver she explained, "He's the first soldier we met when Shadow and I walked through this forest."

"He and his people trust us with their secret," Shadow added, "and they're understanding when it comes to helping a wounded friend of ours."

Silver was happy and pleased to hear that, but he hoped that they'd be able to find one of the villagers to help Waya in time.

"Ryan!" Aurora hollered, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Ryan, are you there?" She hoped that the young soldier could hear her wherever he was. To her surprise and sweet relief, she heard a reply.

"Aurora?" She looked to see the lean boy with light brown hair wearing his warrior robes and bow and arrow pouch on his back walking towards them. "Is that you?"

"It sure is, Ryan," she smiled, walking up to him as he reached his hand to hers, gently gripping it.

"It's been a very long time," he said, returning the smile. "It's good to see you."

"Same here," she nodded, but her smile changed into a concerned look, "but I wish it were under better circumstances." She turned her head and he looked up to see Shadow whom he was familiar with and Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, although he was confused when he saw a white hedgehog next to Sonic who was carrying an unconscious wolf on his back.

"Who are your new friends?" Ryan asked curiously.

"They're Silver the Hedgehog and that's Waya," Aurora explained, "We just got away from Eggman again, but he hurt Waya very badly. Please, Ryan, will you take us to Thomas? He needs help right away."

Although Ryan was mystified that they had a wolf with them, but when he looked at Waya, he seemed to have a curious look in his eyes, but he nodded without asking any questions. "This way," he motioned, leading everyone to the village of Healing Brook that was beginning to sleep for the night.

"Wait here," Ryan asked the others. "I'll go tell Healer Thomas of your arrival."

"Thank you, Ryan," Aurora called, walking over to the hurt Waya still unconscious on Sonic's back. She stroked his white fur which seemed to make him smile in comfort. Even though she grinned, her look quickly turned into a worried expression.

Sonic saw this and said gently, "He'll be okay, Aurora. After all, Thomas and the other Healers saved you, didn't they?"

"That's true," she nodded, "they did."

"And Waya's still holding up as we speak," Sonic added reassuringly. "Hey, if he can make it through a cave-in at the Cave of Life, he can make it through this one."

Yes, that was also true. Waya had bought Shadow and Aurora time to escape the collapsing when he pulled Tara down after he turned into a raptor the same time he turned into a wolf, and even though it seemed impossible that anyone could've survived the cave-in, Waya, however injured, made it and managed to limp himself back to Aurora's house.

Aurora also knew he survived a fall from a cliff, even though he was very injured that time when he accidentally found her home. She was happy he did. He'd been the best company to her ever since she had to live alone at Forgotten Peak and she was grateful for a good and loyal friend like him.

Just then, Ryan came back to them with Thomas, the old black-and-gray haired and bearded man along with other people who were Healers like him.

"Aurora and friends," Thomas greeted them with a warm smile. "it is good to see you again, but I understand that you have a wolf friend that needs assistance."

"Yes, he does," Aurora replied, showing them Waya.

"Bring him," Thomas instructed, motioning his hand for Sonic to gently lay Waya in the middle of the ground at the center of the village where the Healers gathered around the wounded wolf.

Aurora grinned and leaned down to whisper in Silver's ear. "Prepare to say, 'Wow.'" Silver blinked at her, but didn't ask when he saw the Healers' hands glowing green and touching Waya all over to heal his wounds.

"Wow!" Silver said in amazement.

"Mm-hmm," Aurora nodded, although she was hoping that they weren't too late in bringing Waya to the Healers in time as they kept touching the white wolf.

For what seemed like forever which was a few seconds, their hands stopped glowing and they all stood up. Aurora's heart beat fast, bracing herself with news of Waya's condition. Thomas looked at her and her friends and nodded. "He's all right now."

They sighed with relief, especially Silver and Aurora. "You brought him here just in time, too," Thomas added. "His injuries were quite severe, so coming to us any later would've been drastic."

Silver looked down at the ground, feeling guilty that not only Aurora would've been suffered by Eggman for her energy, but Waya could've been lost because of his idea to capture the mad scientist. He was just thankful both of his friends were safe now.

Then, Waya started to stir and immediately, Aurora stepped up to him, not wanting him to panic at the sight of being surrounded by people he didn't know, and touched his shoulder. "Waya?" With his eyes barely open, he turned his head at Aurora. "How do you feel?"

She leaned her head to hers, curious to hear his reply. "_Worn out, but I feel much better than before_," he answered, then his ears perked up. "_Hang on, how long was I out?_"

"Only a few minutes," she explained, "You were hurt worse than we thought, so we brought you to Healing Brook so that the Healers could help you."

Waya looked around himself to see the unfamiliar village and villagers around him. He was surprised to see the hidden home of the mysterious friends of Aurora and Shadow's that he'd heard about.

"Uh, is she actually communicating with him?" Ryan murmured in Shadow's ear.

"Mm-hmm," Shadow nodded. "It's a very long story."

"But to put it simply," Sonic explained, "He was once a human and due to weird circumstances, he turned into a wolf and he shares a bond with Aurora that helps her understand what he's thinking when they touch heads."

Ryan blinked in utter confusion at that summary and looked at Aurora.

"I'll explain more later," she assured the young soldier. "Waya, meet Ryan and Thomas," Aurora announced, motioning her hand to them. "They're the first villagers Shadow and I met. Ryan, Thomas, meet Waya."

"Pleased to meet you," Thomas nodded with a warm smile. "I must say, I had a feeling there was something about your aura that seemed human," he stated, rubbing his beard, giving an inquisitive look, "Now I understand why."

"So do I," Ryan agreed. "You see, in case you haven't heard, we all can sense auras in every living thing and when we looked into your aura, we noticed something that wasn't all wolf."

Waya tilted his head, fascinated at their abilities to sense things in people and animals.

"So, may I ask what exactly happened at your battle with Eggman this time?" Thomas asked, curiously.

"It's a very long story, Thomas," Aurora answered.

"Obviously," Thomas agreed, then he saw the tired look in her eyes as well as Waya's and pronounced, "but perhaps that can wait. Why don't you all spend the night here in our village, hmm?"

"We have tents for you all to stay in," Ryan noted, offering his hand to Aurora. "Come."

Aurora nodded and took his hand that helped her up. Before following Ryan along with the others, Silver noticed Waya giving Ryan a strange, unfriendly look. The white hedgehog wondered why he looked miffed at the young soldier, but he didn't ask as they let Ryan show them their tents.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles shared one, Shadow had his own, and Aurora, Silver, and Waya shared one as well. They bid each other and Ryan and Thomas "good night" and turned in.

As Aurora and Waya settled in, they noticed Silver sitting up looking lost and sad in thought. "Wha's up, Silver?" Aurora asked concernedly.

Silver was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "I'm sorry," he murmured, gripping his blanket, "I just wish...you guys didn't have to come after me."

Aurora and Waya looked at each other and smiled at him sympathetically. "Don't be sorry, Silver," she told him gently.

"But you warned me..." Silver argued, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I know I did..." she said, "but what matter is: You're safe and Waya's fine."

Waya nodded in agreement.

"Besides, we wanted to save you," Aurora added. "You're a near and dear friend to us. If we don't come to your aid, then we couldn't call ourselves your friends."

Waya put his head on her head and she translated, "He says, 'Yeah, after all, if it was us, you'd come no matter what, wouldn't you?'"

Silver looked at them smiling at him for a minute, and he grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I would have. ...Thanks, you guys. I owe you my life."

"Don't mention it, Silver," Aurora said with a wave of her hand. "We're just glad you're okay."

Waya nodded with a smile.

"Now, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're taking you home," Aurora proclaimed, getting under the covers, Waya curling up from a few inches from her head should he need to speak to her.

Silver took in the word home, loving the sound of that more than anything else... Then he settled under his comforter and said to his best friends, "Good night."

"Good night," Aurora said, her eyes closed, ready for a good night's sleep.

"Good night," said a voice that shocked Aurora. It sounded so close and so very familiar and she looked to see Waya above her head, but he was already resting with his head in his paws.

_No, it couldn't be..._

She looked to see if Silver noticed, but he was already sleeping himself. She wondered if she was just imagining things, but...

_I'm just tired. That's it. I mean, Waya can't possibly. Otherwise, Silver would've heard it, too._

Shrugging the thought off, she closed her eyes again and lost herself in a deep sleep.

* * *

In the tent where Shadow was sleeping, he was lying down under his blanket, but he was looking at the disc in the case he found at the hideout before he demolished it.

"What information could Eggman have in this to tell us about Aurora's aura?" he whispered to himself, his eyes still on the disc.

At first, he wondered if he should tell Aurora about this. After all, she's been dying for clues more than anyone else about her energy that the doctor's been so interested in and somehow knows so much about.

Then again, if this disc had very little information, it would bring down Aurora's spirits and bring everyone right back to square one.

"I'll give this to Omega for analyze tomorrow at G.U.N.," he decided. "If there's something worth knowing, then I'll tell her. Right now, I'll just wait." Putting the disc up, he looked at the tent ceiling, his hand behind his head.

"Still, what she did for Silver, getting the chip of his head with just one touch... And based on the time she woke up...seemed shorter than the second time when she used the red emerald..."

He wondered if maybe her aura gets stronger from using the Chaos Emeralds...

"Well, I'll leave the mysterious for tomorrow," he pronounced, closing his eyes and fell fast asleep.

* * *

Somewhere, across the vast seas of Mobius, was an island that seemed horrible with its lifeless trees and beaches of gray sand. Even the gentle waves couldn't soothe a person who would be on this eerie island, especially since it was a new moon and the place looked darker than it ever did.

The only creature on that island was that same terrifying green-yellowed eyed shadow that was spying on Shadow and his friends in the jet that disappeared from his sight in the middle of the night.

The shadow walked in the intimidating woods, not letting the screeches of the owls or bats frighten him as they flew out into the night, searching for prey. He, himself was a predator of the darkness, thinking about the prey sitting in the pilot's seat along with the white hedgehog he knew so well.

"Soon, Silver, we'll see each other again," he announced aloud, and even though he had no mouth, he was grinning very evilly on the inside. "And I shall love to meet your new human friend. Her powers could be quite useful to me in the future." He laughed so horribly, that it chilled the bones of the owls and bats that immediately flew back in the trees and shivered in fear.

"And I do mean in the future."

* * *

(Uh-oh, trouble! 0_0 And what about Waya? Is he really speaking like a boy? And what's up with his slight dislike of Ryan? And what secrets will that disc Shadow found have? Let's just wait and see. Sorry it took me this long, guys. Been havin' writer's block somethin' terrible. The next chapter will be the last, I assure you. Until then, God bless.)


End file.
